All Bets Are Off
by GreysAddictJ
Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?
1. Chapter 1

Title: All Bets Are Off 1/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: It's been brought to my attention that Arizona comes off as a little condescending and bitchy in the first few chapters. Bear with me - it won't last. I promise. :-)

Arizona Robbins made her way through the casino, taking in the familiar and somehow comforting sound of poker chips rattling against one another, the hustle and bustle of the crowds, the mixture of gawking tourists and seasoned professionals. As she entered the poker room, she scanned the tables, sizing up the potential competition. She smiled slightly to herself, revealing a set of dimples, as she leaned against the registration desk's counter. Who would be the source of her winnings tonight? As her eyes flitted from table to table, she was suddenly struck by the beauty sitting at Table 8. Her mouth suddenly went dry as she gazed upon the gorgeous Latina. Not your typical player, she thought to herself. Even from across the room, Arizona could feel the woman's energy, this magic draw that captivated her. She was in the middle of a hand and seemed deep in thought, a serious expression on her face. Even so, Arizona had no doubt that her smile would light up the room.

"Hey, Arizona. What's up? What kind of game are you looking for tonight?" Ben, the floor manager on duty interrupted her reverie.

"Hi, Ben. Got any available space at a 25/50 No Limit table?"

Ben nodded. "Table 8."

Of course it would be Table 8, she thought, shaking her head. Arizona thanked him and headed to the cashier to change some of her cash into poker chips. She then made her way over to the table, trying to put her less than innocent thoughts about the mystery Latina out of her head. However, such efforts were short lived.

As she neared the table, the sound of the brunette's magical laughter rung through the air. Arizona drew up short, nearly breathless at the musical lilt of the woman's joy. She had been right, Arizona mused. Her smile was breathtaking. She was the most gorgeous thing that Arizona had laid eyes upon in quite some time. As she sat down at the only available seat, which happened to be directly across from the object of her musings, Arizona gave herself a mental pep talk. Clearly, she needed to get herself under control. It had obviously just been too long since she'd had a romantic encounter and her sex-starved body was playing tricks on her.

It was time to focus. Time to take the money of everyone at the table, the sexy brunette included. It was her job, after all, and she was damn good at it. Awesome, in fact. She smiled and nodded at the various occupants of the table as she settled in.

As she got into the flow of the game, Arizona sat back and took in the play, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of her fellow players. Knowing this information would help her play against them – exploiting the weaknesses while avoiding potential pitfalls. She may have spent a little too much time studying a certain gorgeous player across from her, but it was all for the game . . . or at least that's what she told herself.

The brunette had some skills, Arizona had to admit. She definitely wasn't a novice. Not that Arizona hadn't picked up on a few weaknesses in her game, but overall, she was impressed. However, one thing was really bothering her. The mystery woman was wearing a very low cut, revealing top and was making sure to flirt with the men at the table at every opportunity, laughing, smiling, placing a hand on an arm, batting her eyelashes. It seemed a little forced, but the men didn't seem to notice or didn't mind if they did notice. For some reason, it made Arizona upset.

It wasn't that she'd never used her own feminine wiles at the poker table – a good player will use whatever means necessary to win. Poker had started out as a man's world and in many ways still was. She knew that certain men were incapable of taking a female player seriously, which could often be used to her advantage. This was especially true if they thought they had a chance with her. If they thought they were protecting the poor, little, weak woman, they'd make the mistake of treating her too gently, letting her get away with tactics that would have been harder to pull off otherwise. She could often get away with bluffs, betting as if she had a monster hand when she had nothing, because these type of men were unwilling to believe that a sweet, innocent woman was capable of any form of deception. Similarly, there were those men who thought of women as weak and stupid and tried hard to push her around, making strategic blunders in the process. Once Arizona had figured out which type a man was, they were easy prey.

Sure, a little flirting never hurt – little did they know that no man would ever stand a chance with her. However, she felt that the brunette was going over the top, using her feminine assets a little too much. Or maybe what really bothered Arizona was that she wasn't using those assets on her . . . no, no, that definitely wasn't it. She simply didn't want this woman to tarnish the already tenuous reputation of women poker players. It had absolutely nothing to do with jealousy. Despite her state of semi-distraction, over the course of the next hour, Arizona managed to add substantially to her stack of poker chips.

Things were going well for Callie Torres. Despite her extreme nervousness, she'd done a good job of putting up a confident façade, or at least she thought she had. She'd dressed in her sexiest top and made an effort to be friendly and flirty with the men at her table. For most of the evening, she'd been the only woman at the table and had used it as an opportunity to practice her flirting. It seemed to be working – she'd managed to dupe them out of much of their money, but they seemed happy, so long as she smiled and batted her eyelashes as she did so.

As she laughed at a dumb joke made by the man to her left, she raked in her latest pile of winnings. Looking up, she caught sight of a beautiful blonde woman making her way towards the table. Great, she thought. Now she would have competition – if the blonde knew how to charm the men. As she sat down, the blonde smiled at the players, revealing a gorgeous set of dimples. Something about her made Callie's heart skip a beat. That was weird, she thought. Must be the nerves. She continued her flirting, winning a hand here and there as she did so. She couldn't help but notice that the blonde kept staring at her – even when she wasn't looking, she could feel the ocean blue eyes upon her. It made her feel all tingly and electrified inside – she wasn't sure why, but shook it off and focused on her game.

A few hands later, Callie found herself in a hand against the other woman. She looked down at her cards, quickly going over the odds of winning in her head. The mysterious blonde pushed all of her chips into the center of the table, and confidently announced that she was "all in."

This changed things. Her hand, two queens, which had looked so good a minute ago, suddenly didn't seem so strong. From what she'd observed, the blonde seemed to be a confident, talented player. Not the type she could win over with a flirty smile or a trick play. She wondered what she'd gotten herself into. She warred with the varying emotions running through her. What was she doing here? She didn't belong at a big time poker game in Vegas. She'd gotten herself in way over her head. Yes, she'd been successful at her ex-boyfriend's home poker games and she'd found a lot of success playing online, but this was a whole different ballgame. What had she been thinking? She should have stayed in Miami, where her life was safe and comfortable.

Snap out of it Callie, she reminded herself. It was exactly this type of thinking that had made her so unhappy. She had always played it safe. If she had taken more chances, maybe her life wouldn't be so screwed up at the moment . . . or maybe she should just go back to her old life. There was something to be said for safe and uncomplicated . . . no, no, she was not going to start thinking that way again.

"The action is on you, miss," the dealer said, reminding Callie that it was her turn to act.

Callie tucked a stray lock of her raven-colored hair behind her ear and checked her cards once again, pondering her options. She should fold this hand. She has no business being in a game with stakes this high or even in this city for that matter. She should go back home and pretend that this little diversion had never happened.

A cocktail waitress appeared with a drink for her opponent.

"Here's your drink, Arizona," the waitress said.

"Thanks, Mary. This is for you" she said as she handed the waitress a $20 tip.

Turning her attention back to the table, the blonde studied Callie, a slight grin on her face as she expertly shuffled a stack of poker chips between her fingers.

Great, Callie thought. The blonde, who apparently had the unusual name of Arizona, was obviously a regular if she was on a first-name basis with the waitressing staff. That probably meant that she had a ton of experience, a ton more than Callie had. Callie felt a lump form in her throat as the niggling thoughts of self-doubt crept in once again. It didn't help that the blonde was staring right at her – she swore she could feel her eyes burning their way straight through into her brain – reading her very private thoughts. Arizona flashed her a knowing smirk, as if to confirm Callie's doubts – that she knew that Callie was doubting herself.

"Come on sweetie, you know you want to fold this hand. Just throw your cards away and we'll move on," her opponent urged, a full smile spreading across her face.

Something about the overconfident smirk on Arizona's face cut through Callie's anxiety. She had to shake things up. No more being the always cautious, always predictable Callie Torres. She studied her opponent, trying not to get distracted by how sexy her grin was, no matter how magical it might be. Wait . . . had she just admitted the blonde was sexy. No way . . . clearly she was tired and needed to quit for the evening.

Then, Arizona winked at her.

The move pushed Callie over the edge. That cocky bitch thought she was going to push her around. What, just because she flashed her dimples, Callie was supposed to do her bidding and fold her hand? No – unlike most of the players at the table, she didn't think solely with her libido. Now was the time to take chances. "I'm all in as well," she announced as she pushed all her chips towards the dealer. As she did so, she stared straight into Arizona's piercing blue eyes in an attempt to show her that she was messing with the wrong woman.

Arizona grinned smugly and shook her head, "You really shouldn't have done that, sweetie."

Callie's heart dropped as the blonde turned over two kings, which meant that Callie had lost all of her money on the table. Deciding that she was in no state to continue playing, Callie opted not to buy more chips. She stood, trying to hurry away from the table before anyone saw how upset she was. As she turned to leave, Arizona called after her.

"Sweetie, you've got to work on your poker face. Your expression told me all I needed to know about your hand. Let me guess, you're one of those internet players who's never played face-to-face in a casino before?" Arizona felt slightly guilty for the way she was teasing the brunette, but it helped distract her from the unsettling feelings the woman was causing deep within her.

Fuming, Callie turned to reply, "thanks for the advice, but you just got lucky. The odds were in my favor. Most times, you wouldn't have had kings and I'd have won that hand. So wipe that smug grin off your face."

Arizona studied her, admiring her chocolate brown eyes, which sparkled with emotion. Her sexy attire masked the fact that this woman was really quite a good player. She didn't do herself justice – playing up her bodily assets while not recognizing her true talents, namely her intelligence. Arizona was definitely attracted to her, but now was not the time or place to indulge in fantasies. She had a poker game to win.

"I'm just trying to help you out, sweetie." Arizona replied.

"I'm fine on my own, thanks," Callie retorted, anger flashing in her eyes. "I'm not some damsel in distress that needs some stranger to tell me how to live my life or how to play my cards."

With that, Callie stormed off, muttering under her breath "what does she know anyway?"

"Quite a lot, actually," a bystander commented. "Don't you know who that is? That's Arizona Robbins. She's won more tournaments than any other woman player and more than most men on the poker circuit. She's a world class player."

"Thanks, but that doesn't mean she's also not a world class jerk." Callie replied as she walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: All Bets Are Off 2/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: It's been brought to my attention that Arizona comes off as a little condescending and bitchy in the first few chapters. Bear with me - it won't last. I promise. :-)

As Arizona watched the sexy (and apparently fiery) brunette storm away from the table, Arizona felt a momentary bit of regret in the pit of her stomach. Why had she been so snarky with the woman? It wasn't like her. Arizona prided herself on being a pleasant, agreeable person – not a condescending know-it-all, which, if she really took a minute to reflect on her behavior, was what she'd just been.

She shook her head slightly. Clearly, for whatever reason, the woman had gotten under her skin. She quickly pushed these thoughts aside. She had a game to play and most likely she'd never see the woman again. She played for a few more hours, and while she managed to make money, her head wasn't really in the game. Her concentration was constantly broken by the nagging thoughts surrounding the mysterious Latina. She was filled with guilt and self-doubt, which was not an emotion she was used to dealing with. Additionally, she felt like all of the joy in the room had left with her sexy former opponent. It was if she'd taken all of Arizona's positive energy with her as she'd stormed off.

Finally, Arizona let out a sigh mixed with exhaustion and frustration and got up to leave. After cashing in her chips, she made her way home. Normally, she would have played long into the night. Tonight, however, she didn't have it in her. She convinced herself that she'd left because she had an early appointment the next morning. However, if she really allowed herself to stop and do some self-reflection, she knew that her reason for fatigue came from a decidedly different direction.

The next morning got off to a rocky start for Arizona. She was exhausted, though she didn't know why. Unlike most nights, where she played poker until the wee hours of the morning, she'd gotten to bed at a decent hour. To top it off, she had a speaking engagement and she was not looking forward to it. Arizona didn't mind being one of the public faces of the poker world, but the whole public speaking thing was not something she enjoyed. She usually avoided such events, but she'd somehow allowed herself to be talked into speaking on a panel called "Women in Poker." She felt that she had a duty, as one of the most successful women poker players in the world, to make appearances such as this one on occasion. However, today she was not in the mood.

She grabbed her keys off of the counter and headed out the door, already running a few minutes late for the breakfast that the event planners had put together for the speakers on the panel. Arizona had no idea who else would be there, other than her good friend and fellow poker pro, Teddy Altman. As she approached her car, she silently cursed. Of all days, today would have to be the day she had a flat tire. She looked down at her watch. There was no way she had time to change the flat and still make the breakfast. Never one to be the damsel in distress, she decided to change the tire herself, figuring she'd still have time to make it to the engagement. Swearing again, Arizona put a quick call into Teddy, asking her to let the organizer know that she'd have to miss breakfast, but that she'd still be there for the panel.

As she pulled up to the convention center, Arizona quickly parked and hopped out, making a mad dash for the meeting room where the panel discussion was being held. It had taken her a little longer than she'd estimated to fix the car and she was cutting it rather close. As she neared the room, she spotted Teddy standing outside the door, along with Kate, the woman who'd organized the event. She jogged over to them, panting and a little disheveled.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," she said as she attempted to catch her breath. "Flat tire."

Kate nodded. "Teddy told me. Not a problem. You're just in time. We're just in the process of announcing the speakers."

Arizona could hear the emcee announcing the first name from inside the room. "An up and coming internet phenom, playing under the online alias RockStar, she's made a name for herself over the past year cashing in several tournaments, including a first place finish in the prestigious $1 million championship. She's decided to take her virtual game to the real world and is here in Vegas to test her skills at the World Series of Poker. We have no doubt that by the end of the series a few months from now, she'll be a household name. Please welcome Callie Torres."

A round of applause welcomed the first guest, whom Arizona had never met. She had, however, heard about this player. She was supposed to be the next big thing. Arizona wasn't so sure – many internet sensations never successfully made the transition to playing in a brick-and-mortar casino. Arizona looked through the doorway, curious to see what this up-and-comer looked like. As she did so, her breath caught in her throat. Making her way to the stage was none other than the mystery woman she'd played against the night before.

Teddy noticed Arizona's reaction. "You look like you just saw a ghost, Arizona. What's up?"

Arizona shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing. Just played against her for a little while last night. Didn't expect to see her here. That's all. No big deal. Not at all. Just wasn't expecting that. I'm fine."

Teddy sized Arizona up as she rambled, giving her a knowing look. "You need to work on your poker face, girl. Clearly something is up. Let me know when you decide to tell me about it. Now get out there, they just called your name," she said as she pushed Arizona through the door. In her surprise and confusion, Arizona had missed her introduction and would have continued standing there in awe had Teddy not pushed her.

Arizona put on her typical perky and smiling façade, waving at the fans in the audience as they welcomed her. She struggled to swallow the lump in her throat as she made her way to the stage. As she sat down in the chair next to the mystery woman, or Callie, as she was apparently called, Arizona made brief eye contact and offered a weak smile.

Callie was nervous – beyond nervous actually. Public speaking was definitely not her thing. Not at all. Why she'd agreed to be on this Women in Poker panel was beyond her. She'd been completely taken aback and flattered when she'd been asked to participate, and that was what had probably convinced her to accept the invitation. Unfortunately, she hadn't been thinking clearly when she did so. She struggled to keep her nerves in check and her breakfast in her stomach as she made her way to the stage, plastering on a fake smile as she did so. She was a bad ass poker player. People online feared her. She never lacked confidence in the virtual world. She just needed to channel some of that mojo here in the real world . . . and try to forget about the events of the previous night, which had rocked the already shaky foundation of her self-confidence.

She took a deep breath and reminded herself that all of these people had paid money to hear her insights – they looked up to her. She was a rock star. She was awesome. She was . . . Her internal pep talk was brought to a screeching halt as she heard the next panelist's name announced over the loud speaker. Arizona Robbins. How had she not known that? How had she missed that her previous night's nemesis would also be appearing? Of course. It made sense. Even though she hadn't recognized Arizona in person the night before, she'd certainly heard of her. She was _the_ leading female player in the game. It was a no-brainer that she'd be a member of the panel. And now Callie had to spend the morning with the primary source of her renewed self-doubt. Great. She smiled and clapped as the blonde came through the door, trying to disguise her unease.

As Arizona sat down next to Callie, she offered her a small smile. She looked about as happy to see Callie as Callie herself felt. Good, Callie thought. Let her feel a little surprised and uneasy too. That's right, you cocky jerk. Callie Torres is good enough to be here too. You're not the only one with some skills. Callie shot Arizona a confident smirk, showing none of the fear and doubt that were warring within her.

The panel discussion got underway and at the beginning was fairly non-eventful. Callie answered questions posed to her and offered her advice on a number of topics related to the game. She thought she was doing a decent job of covering her anxiety and the fact that all she could really think about was the blonde woman next to her. She didn't know what the hell was going on with her. It was as if Arizona was giving off this electricity, this aura, that was causing every nerve in her body to stand on end. Callie didn't know what to make of it. She kept fighting the urge to scoot closer to her, to touch her, to connect with her. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. She was so damn confused.

The next question from the audience was addressed to Callie. A woman halfway back in the audience stood and asked her question. "Callie, what do you say to those players who don't think that internet players can make it in real live tournaments in casinos?"

Callie nodded and smiled she acknowledged the question. Slightly irked by the way that the blonde next to her was jangling her nerves, she couldn't resist answering in a way that alluded to Arizona's dig the night before regarding internet players. "Well, I think those players who shrug off internet players are just resistant to the way the game is evolving. More and more people are getting their start online and it offers you great experience. Because the dealer is a computer, the game goes much, much faster, allowing you to play many more hands an hour than you could in a live casino. Also, you can play at more than one table at once online. Not possible in a casino. This means you can get experience much faster, because you're playing more hands, learning from your mistakes more quickly and so on. I think those players who dismiss the internet aspect of the game are just old-fashioned and behind the times. There have been plenty of internet players who have won major, live tournaments and I think this trend will continue. Those who don't agree are just in denial and holding onto their antiquated notions like a security blanket." Callie smirked and shot a sideways glance at Arizona. Her sly jab did not go unnoticed.

The moderator then turned to Arizona and Teddy. "Arizona, Teddy, as players who got their start playing live at a casino, do you have a response?"

Arizona nodded. "I can handle this one, Teddy. While I do acknowledge that some internet players have had success in live games, I think that this is the exception and not the norm. Many people find a little success online and then think they're ready for the big time. They don't realize that there are certain aspects of the game that cannot be practiced online. Learning to read other players, learning to hide their own emotions, things like that. These skills can't be honed on a computer because your opponents never see your face. Not everything translates when you play face-to-face. So a lot of these internet players step away from the computer and into a casino and pretty much just hand me their money. It's pretty awesome." She shot a dimpled, passive-aggressive smile right back at Callie.

A few questions later, Arizona couldn't resist taking another backhanded shot at Callie. An audience member stood. "Arizona, you're one of my all-time favorite players. What advice do you have for women players in particular?"

Arizona smiled. "Thanks so much for the compliment. I am super thankful for all of my awesome fans. If I had one piece of advice, it would be to have confidence in yourself. You'll encounter plenty of male players who will automatically assume that you're weak, that you're stupid, that you're easily manipulated. Don't prove them right. Use this to your advantage. Use your brains and manipulate them right back. Too often, we sell ourselves short, subconsciously buying into the stereotypes about women. I've seen many a woman who thinks she's got to flirt and joke and act like the stereotypical bimbo in order to win. Not only do I think this is incredibly stupid and demeaning, but I also don't think it works in the long run. Some men will fall for this act, but the talented, smart ones won't. So remember, use your brains, not your boobs. I ran into a player like this last night – I think she's got real talent, but she must have some confidence issues, because she used this flirty tactic as a crutch. It's a shame really, that she was afraid to rely on her intelligence."

As Arizona finished her answer, Callie's cheeks began to burn with a mixture of embarrassment and anger, knowing that Arizona's words were directed at her. How dare she? Who the hell was she to be taking jabs at her? It was totally uncalled for! So what if she was at least somewhat right? . . . that Callie lacked confidence in her abilities. It was still wholly inappropriate.

Shortly thereafter, they took a break. Teddy pulled Arizona aside. "What the hell is going on, Arizona?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know very well what I mean. Something is going on. You keep taking shots at Callie and I'm not sure why. The audience may not see it, but I know you too well. You're acting like a total bitch . . . and it's not often that I . . . or anyone else for that matter, refers to Arizona Robbins as a bitch."

"She started it." Arizona mumbled, feeling a bit of remorse as Teddy's words hit home.

"What are we, in second grade? Who cares who started it? What is going on between you two?"

"I played at the same table as her last night. I beat her in a big hand and tried to give her some advice. She didn't take it well. She totally overreacted and I didn't appreciate it. End of story." Arizona said.

"Why do I have a feeling that's not the whole story?" Teddy raised her eyebrow, letting Arizona know that she wasn't going to let her off so easily.

"It just bothered me because she was selling herself short – dressing like a prostitute and flirting with anything with a penis. She doesn't need to do that."

"Tell me exactly what happened." Teddy insisted. After Arizona recounted their interaction as best she could remember, Teddy shook her head. "I don't know, Arizona. It sounds to me like you were being a bit snarky and condescending. I'd probably have reacted the same way."

Arizona shook her head in disagreement. "It still doesn't excuse the fact that she totally bit my head off just for giving her some words of wisdom."

"Remember that she'd just lost a big hand and her emotions were probably running high."

"Good players don't let their emotions get in the way. That's no excuse." Arizona waved off Teddy's explanation.

"Isn't that exactly what you're doing here? Letting your emotions rule your actions? Reading between the lines, I think you like her . . . and that bothers you."

"So not true, Teddy."

"Oh, no, it totally is true. I'm straight and even _I_ can tell you that she's super hot. And you forget that I know you too well. You only get this way when someone gets under your skin. Attraction makes you feel out of control and you're the biggest control freak I know. When you feel like things are out of control, you react negatively. So, yeah, I'm pretty sure you have the hots for her."

"Whatever, Teddy." Arizona rolled her eyes and blushed slightly.

"Just a word of advice – patronizing and bitchy isn't exactly the best look on you. If you want a chance to win her over, you'd better play nice."

Arizona sighed, knowing deep down that Teddy was right. She'd been out of line and it was time to make amends . . . especially considering the fact that she wanted to know more about her mysterious nemesis.

Across the room, Callie stood with her friend, Mark Sloan, who was also a poker player. She'd met him playing online and he'd been the one to welcome her when she first arrived in Vegas, showing her around the city. They'd developed a strong bond online, but she'd never met him face-to-face prior to her arrival in Las Vegas. Even so, she trusted him with many of her confidences and worries.

"What are you doing here, Mark? You're not exactly a woman and if you couldn't tell, this is a program for _women_ in poker."

"Exactly." Mark replied. "What better place to pick up chicks than a conference room full of ladies? And since they're interested in poker, naturally they'll be interested in dating a famous poker stud like me."

Callie rolled her eyes. "You are such a pig. Remind me why I associate with you?"

"Because you secretly love it." He smirked. "What's up with you and Blondie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Arizona Robbins is normally a sweetheart. She's known for being nothing but sunshine and rainbows and nice to everyone. Yet you two have been subtly going at each other all morning."

"Oh, it's nothing." Callie waved her hand in dismissal. "We just had a bit of a run in at the poker table last night. She was acting like a know-it-all and tried to give me some unsolicited advice on my poker game and I didn't appreciate it."

"Hmmmm . . ." Mark stroked his chin, pondering the information. "I've got a bit of a read on her. Like I said, normally, Arizona is just about the nicest person you'll ever meet. Don't get me wrong, she'll kill you at the poker table, but she'll do it while making you feel like you're her best friend. I've only seen her feathers ruffled a few times. Usually it's when she feels like she's threatened in some way. So something about you makes her uneasy. Maybe she has a thing for you."

His last comment took Callie by surprise. "I'm sure that's not it. What makes you say that?"

"Well first of all, she's totally gay. Likes the ladies. Secondly, she's been staring at you for the past 10 minutes." He gestured over to where Arizona was standing with Teddy. Sure enough, the blonde kept stealing glances at Callie. "You should totally hit that, if chicks are your thing. I know I would, if I stood a chance."

Callie scoffed at Mark's suggestion. "First of all, Mark, just because she acts like she hates me does not mean she likes me. We're not in elementary school. She probably acts like she hates me _because_ she hates me. Second, I'm totally not into girls. Not even a little bit." Callie pushed aside doubts about her last comment. Just because sitting next to Arizona all morning was making her feel like she was on fire did not mean that she was attracted to her. Her nerves were just out of whack from a combination of losing the big hand the night before and the fact that she had to speak in front of the huge audience. It had nothing to do with Arizona. Nothing at all.

"Well, you'd better figure out what you want to do about her, because here she comes." He gestured towards Arizona, who was in fact making her way towards them.

Arizona smiled meekly as she approached them. "Uh . . . Callie. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Callie nodded. "Sure."

"I want to apologize for the way that I've treated you today and last night. It was uncalled for. I don't know what came over me, but I can assure you, I don't normally act like this."

Unsure how to respond, Callie simply nodded again.

"I'd like to make it up to you. Can I take you out for coffee after this panel is done?"

Callie pondered the offer for a moment. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was bothering her, but something told her that further interaction with Arizona would be dangerous. She wasn't sure how exactly, or whether the outcome would be amazing or horrible, but something about the blonde made her nerves stand on end. She was feeling incredibly out of sorts. Finally, deciding a defensive approach was best, she shook her head. "I accept your apology, but I'm not sure we really have anything else to talk about. Maybe we should just keep our relationship for the poker tables."

Arizona was surprisingly disappointed by Callie's refusal, but didn't give up quite that easily. She had a feeling that Callie wouldn't be able to back down from a challenge or a wager of some sort. "Come on, sweetie. A little coffee never hurt anyone. How about this? Let's make a bet. We'll have Mark here pick a number between 1 and 100. We'll each pick a number and whoever comes closer to his number wins the bet. If I win, you have to have coffee with me." She smiled and flashed Callie her dimples, which suddenly made the brunette feel a little weak in the knees. Those were some killer dimples, Callie had to admit.

Callie arched her eyebrow. "And if I win?"

"I'll leave you alone . . . and promise to treat you with nothing but respect from now on."

"Fine." Callie agreed. "Mark, pick a number."

Mark nodded. He thoroughly enjoyed watching the exchange between the two women. Even if neither one of them would admit it, he could practically see the sparks flying between the two. It was hot. "Okay, got my number."

"23." Callie replied.

"I'll take 97." Arizona added.

Secretly, Mark had picked 19, which made Callie the winner. However, he wasn't about to let this little soap opera end so abruptly. "Sorry, Callie. I picked 88, so Blondie wins."

"Super!" Arizona replied in her normal perky tone. "I'll meet you at the coffee shop around the corner at 1, if that's okay, sweetie."

Callie nodded and Arizona began to walk away.

Callie called after her. "Oh and Arizona?"

Arizona turned back. "Yeah?"

"Don't call me sweetie."

Arizona shot her the dimples again and walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: All Bets Are Off 3/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

The panel continued for the rest of the morning with no repeat of the thinly veiled barbs that had pervaded Callie and Arizona's earlier commentary.

Callie struggled to concentrate on the discussion. Despite her best efforts, her thoughts kept straying to the blonde at her side. She had to acknowledge that there was something between them . . . or at least that _she_ felt something. Who knew what Arizona felt? What it was she was feeling, Callie couldn't quite say. It was a familiar and yet completely new sensation all at the same time. All she knew for sure was that she _felt_. She was _feeling_.

This was something that hadn't been true for a long time. She'd kind of sleep-walked through the past few years of her life, if she was being honest with herself. She never really stopped to just think about her emotions and feelings. Taking a moment to reflect on the past year or two, she realized she'd in many ways been dead inside. And now, suddenly, she was _alive_. So, so alive. Whether it was the poker, her newfound freedom away from her jaded routine in Miami, or Arizona remained to be seen. Or maybe it was a combination of these things. One thing Callie knew for sure – she was loving it.

After the panel adjourned, the two women went their separate ways, but both of their minds were decidedly united around one particular subject – their upcoming coffee shop meeting. Arizona took a moment to chat with the panel organizer before Teddy pulled her aside.

'So we never got a chance to talk after you spoke with Callie. What happened? You both were much more relaxed afterwards."

Arizona shrugged. "Oh, nothing much. I apologized. She accepted."

Teddy looked at her curiously. "That's all?"

"Oh and we're going for coffee at 1."

"Mmmhmmm . . ." Teddy smirked at her.

"Don't you mmhmmm me. It's nothing – I just figured I owed it to her to make nice and try and start over. I don't like being the bad guy."

"Right."

"That's it! Nothing more . . ." Teddy continued to eye her. Finally, Arizona let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay fine, maybe a little bit of me is excited that I get to spend time with her, but that's irrelevant. She made it perfectly clear that she'd rather do just about anything than hang out with me, so it doesn't matter what I feel. Though why she wouldn't want to is beyond me. I'm an awesome friend."

Teddy shook her head. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you've been anything but friendly to her? And you relieved her of a big pile of cash and humiliated her in the process. From what I can tell, you weren't exactly a gracious winner."

Arizona offered a noncommittal grumble.

"But what makes you think that she doesn't want to spend time with you? She did agree to have coffee with you after all."

"Only because I won a bet. She said no, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to get to know her . . . so I made her a little friendly wager. She lost, so she has to have coffee with me." Arizona bit her lip anxiously as she admitted her little ploy.

"Great way to win over the girl, Arizona. Nothing like starting a friendship based upon forced commitments and obligation."

"Hey! She didn't have to take the bet – this is on her too," Arizona said defensively.

"Sure she did. She's a poker player Arizona, and you of all people should know that it's nearly impossible for a poker player to turn down a good wager unless the odds are horrible."

"True." Arizona admitted. "It doesn't matter though – by the end of our coffee, she'll love me. I've just got to unleash my signature Robbins charm and she'll see how fun and awesome I can be."

Teddy shook her head. "Sometimes your self-confidence scares me, Arizona."

"Only because you know I'm right. And I'm awesome." She glanced down at her watch. "Gotta go. I'll be late meeting Callie."

Teddy rolled her eyes as Arizona walked away. Her friend was really a piece of work sometimes, but she loved her anyway.

Outside the conference room, Callie leaned against the wall and sighed. "Why did I let myself get talked into this, Mark? It's going to be nothing but uncomfortable."

"Geez, Callie. You're acting like you agreed to be tortured or something. It's just coffee. And like I said before, Arizona is a genuinely nice person. She and I may not always see eye-to-eye, but she's nothing to be afraid of. There are plenty of worse people to spend an hour with."

Callie let out another long, ragged sigh. "I know . . . it's just. I don't know. Something about her just throws me off balance. And I'm not sure I like it."

Mark smirked. "You know what, Torres? It sounds to me like you have a little bit of a crush."

Callie rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Mark. I am not into women." She scoffed, perhaps in a slightly too exaggerated manner. "I like penis. I am a huge fan of penis."

Mark sensed that she protested too much, but chose to ignore it. Unable to resist the opening Callie had left him, he knew only one way to respond. "Well, if you're ever looking for an outlet for your love affair with the penis, let me know."

Callie slapped him on the arm. "That's never going to happen, Sloan. I'll leave you to your cocktail waitresses and drunken bachelorettes and whatever other rare beauties are delusional enough to find you charming." With that, she walked away, headed to the coffee shop, attempting to suppress the warring nerves wreaking havoc on her body.

When Callie arrived at the coffee shop, Arizona was already there, standing off to the side fiddling with her phone. As she looked up, Arizona's breath hitched once again. The brunette had yet to cease causing an involuntary reaction deep within her. As Callie approached, she offered Arizona a nervous smile. "Hey."

Arizona gave Callie a wide, dimpled smile. "Hey. I'm super glad you're here. Shall we order?" Callie nodded. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. The condescending, bitchy Arizona seemed to have gone missing, replaced by a perky, pleasant version of the woman.

After they got their coffee, they made their way to a secluded table in the corner. As they sat down, Arizona eyed her and smiled again. God, Callie thought . . . stop with the dimples already . . . they were driving her insane.

"So, I just wanted to start off by apologizing again. I'm not sure what came over me, but I'm not normally one to pick fights. I'd like to think I'm generally a nice person and I wasn't very nice to you."

Callie waved a hand in dismissal. "It's okay. Mark told me the same thing – that you're normally very sweet. Let's just agree that you and I got off on the wrong foot and start over."

Arizona nodded. "Awesome." She smirked slightly before proceeding. "So if I can't call you sweetie, what should I call you?"

Callie arched an eyebrow and chuckled lightly. "How about just Callie? Sweetie's just a bit patronizing . . . unless you want me to start calling you Blondie like Mark does. If so, you can keep calling me that."

Arizona rolled her eyes. "Fair enough. Mark's a nice guy, but a bit of a chauvinist pig. I've long since given up trying to get him call me by my name." Callie smiled, silently agreeing with Arizona's assessment of her friend. "So is Callie short for something? Not any chance your parents were as creative as mine and named you California or something like that?"

Callie burst out laughing. "No, unfortunately for you, I'm not named California. So we can't start some club for people named after states. Hate to burst your bubble." She grinned, flashing Arizona a mega-watt smile that set her stomach all aflutter.

"Actually, I'm not named after a state either. Most people think that. My grandfather was serving on the U.S.S. Arizona during Pearl Harbor. He saved the lives of several men before drowning. I was named in honor of him."

"That's so cool. Much better than the state."

"Agreed." Arizona smiled back at the brunette. "So you never really answered my question. Is Callie short for something?"

"Calliope." Callie admitted. "But I don't particularly like it. Only my father calls me that."

"Calliope." Arizona said, trying out the sound of it. "I like it. It suits you."

"I've never thought so."

Arizona studied her. As she did so, Callie swore she could feel her bright blue eyes touching every inch of her skin, setting her body ablaze. She struggled to swallow the tight lump in her throat. Finally finished with her assessment, Arizona grinned and nodded. "Yep, I'm right. You're definitely a Calliope."

Callie simply rolled her eyes and then changed the subject. "So where did you learn to play poker?"

"My dad's a marine, so I grew up on bases around the world. I learned from the young soldiers there. It gave something to do as a teenager and kept me out of trouble. Before long, I was too good for most of the people I played against, so I moved to Vegas to try going pro. The rest, as they say, is history. What about you?"

Callie drew a deep breath before she began – the memories weren't all that positive. "My ex-boyfriend taught me."

Arizona's heart sunk at that word – ex-boyfriend. Not that she'd really expected Callie to feel what she was feeling, but hearing actual confirmation of her sexual preferences still hurt. Doing her best to disguise her disappointment, Arizona prodded Callie for more information, sensing that the brunette was holding back. "Why do I feel like there's more to this story, Calliope?"

Callie opened her mouth to protest Arizona's use of her full name, but stopped herself. For some reason, coming from Arizona, she liked her name. For the first time in her life, she liked it. She was a little confused and stunned by this realization. Shaking it off, she picked up her story. "My ex, Steve, took me to one of his poker nights. I think he did it partially to show off to me, to show me how good he was at poker. I also think he wanted to show _me_ off to his buddies. Anyway, he took me a few times and I picked up the game pretty quick. I actually am . . . was an accountant for my father's business. The math and statistics involved with poker appealed to me. I got pretty good, pretty fast. However, that's when Steve stopped bringing me. I think he didn't like the fact that his girlfriend could beat him at a game that he was supposedly good at. Note to Steve – he wasn't that good."

Arizona chuckled and waited for Callie to continue.

"Anyway, by that time, I'd fallen in love with the game. I love the math, the trickery, the deception, the strategy." It took Arizona's breath away as Callie's eyes lit up and her face became more and more animated. Clearly she was passionate about the game . . . and that passion was hot. "When I didn't have my boyfriend's game to go to anymore, I had to find another way to play. So I started playing online, and, as you said, the rest is history."

"What made you finally decide to make a go of it out here in Vegas?" Arizona asked, curious as to what had finally pushed Callie to make the move to live games.

Callie hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to tell. She bit her lip nervously as she pondered. Arizona's eyes were transfixed by the gesture, uncontrollably drawn to the luscious lips. She wanted nothing more than take them with her own. It was at that moment that she realized she was falling, hard and fast for this woman, who was still almost as much of a mystery as she had been a day ago. "Well . . ." Callie finally began. "I was with Steve for over two years. I thought we'd be together forever . . . that we'd settle down, have a family, the whole nine yards. He worked for my father. My family loved him. We were comfortable, but looking back now, I realize he was always just the safe option. I always tried to live up to my father's expectations of me. I made choices based on what I thought my father would want. Don't get me wrong, I love him . . . but he can be a bit overbearing. I went to work for him because it's what he wanted. I dated Steve because it's what he expected. And I thought I was happy. I realize now I really wasn't happy. I was just complacent." Callie paused, gathering her thoughts. Something about Arizona's sympathetic blue eyes made her want to spill her entire life story. Despite their rocky start, Callie had the strange feeling she could trust her. "Anyway . . . I'd probably still be in Miami, living my life on auto-pilot, if not for the fact that I walked in on Steve cheating on me with his secretary."

Arizona shook her head. "What a jerk."

"Tell me about it. The worst part is, he tried to blame it on me. He told me I was too boring, too predictable. He's probably right. Before I left for Vegas, I'd never taken a chance in my life. I always played it safe. I probably was . . . am boring."

Arizona reached over and placed a gentle hand on Callie's forearm. Both were taken slightly aback at the invisible sparks shooting through their skin. Arizona pushed the feelings aside and spoke. "That's not true, Calliope. I can tell you, after having known you for just a short period of time, you are _anything_ but boring. In fact, you are quite the opposite. If I had to describe you, I'd call you fiery . . . I'd call you passionate. Maybe Steve was just the wakeup call you needed."

Callie nodded and smiled weakly. "Thanks. And you're right. For the first time, I really feel awake, like I'm actually living my life. I'd have never quit my job and come here if I hadn't caught him. So I guess I have to thank him for that."

Arizona smiled warmly. "Don't give him too much credit. It's _your_ talent, _your_ courage, _your_ brains that got you here. He just gave you the little nudge you needed. If I'm being honest, I think one of the reasons I reacted so badly to you last night was because I felt you were selling yourself short by dressing the way you did and flirting with those guys. You don't need to do that. You've got all the ammunition you need right up here. " Arizona reached up and gently patted Callie's temple. Shocked by the sudden jolt of feeling that the blonde's touch caused inside her, Callie took a sharp intake of breath. She hoped Arizona hadn't noticed. If she did, she didn't let on as she dropped her hand back to the table.

Callie nodded timidly. "I suppose you're right. If I'm being honest, I've always had a bit of a confidence problem. I just figured if I could act the part of this sexy, confident woman, maybe I'd feel that way inside too."

Arizona nodded. "You're right about one thing, Calliope. Poker is all about image and people's perceptions of you. If you know what image you're projecting, you can use that to your advantage, you can manipulate people based on their incorrect assumptions as to the type of player you are. However, I think you're going about it the wrong way. In the long run, you want respect. And not only will people not respect you if show up with your boobs hanging out, but it'll be harder and harder to respect yourself."

"You sound like you know what you're talking about."

"I do. I have firsthand experience. I made the same mistake when I was first starting out. That doesn't mean you can't craft an image for yourself that helps boost your confidence. You just have to go about it the right way. And soon enough, those self-doubts will go away. Not because your outer image will change, but because your own view of yourself will change as you become more and more successful. I can tell you, Calliope, without a doubt, that you're going to make it. I see real talent in you. You've just got to trust yourself. In the meantime, let's help you with the outer image, while we wait for your self-confidence to catch up."

"What do you mean?" Callie asked, confused.

"It's time for a makeover, Calliope. Lucky for you, I'm awesome at makeovers. By the time I'm done with you, you'll live up to your online poker name." She grinned, flashing Callie her heart-melting dimples. "You'll be a rock star."

Callie laughed and shook her head, but let Arizona grab her hand and lead her from the coffee shop.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: All Bets Are Off 4/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: I know this chapter doesn't really move the plot forward much, but I wanted to sort of build the tension and feature some more interaction between the two. Hopefully it doesn't get too boring!

A/N2: Thanks to rawpotato for the idea about Callie's wardrobe. She'd definitely make one hot, badass poker player in that outfit!

As Arizona dragged her out of the coffee shop, Callie could only smile and follow along. There was something about the blonde's exuberance and enthusiasm that was contagious. Finally, Callie pulled to a halt. "Where are we going?"

Arizona turned and smiled. "Your place, of course. That's where your clothes are I presume."

Callie smiled back. "And how exactly do you expect to drag me there when you don't know where I live? Unless you've been secretly stalking me or something, which means we've got bigger problems than the fact that you don't know where you're going . . ." She smirked, letting Arizona know she was kidding.

Arizona shook her head, her blonde locks brushing her shoulders. "You are one interesting girl, Calliope and stalking you would undoubtedly turn out to be all kinds of fun and awesome. However, I've managed to resist temptation thus far. You'll have to lead the way." She grinned and gestured for Callie to take the lead.

Callie led them to the parking garage, where she turned to Arizona. "Should I drive or do you want to follow in your car?"

Arizona shook her head. "My car and I aren't getting along today – you drive, if you don't mind dropping me back off here later."

Callie laughed lightly at Arizona's mention of her car. The melodious sound sent shivers down Arizona's spine. "I wasn't aware it was possible to have a fight with an inanimate object like a car."

"Yeah, well tell that to my car. I was running late this morning and it decided to get a flat tire. So yes, we're not speaking right now."

Callie shook her head as they approached her car. "You are ridiculous, Arizona. Hilarious and adorable, but ridiculous all the same." The smile faded from Callie's face the moment the words left her mouth. Had she just said that out loud? Had she just called Arizona adorable? What was going on with her? It was like she was completely out of her mind when she was around the woman. It was seriously unnerving – but part of her was savoring every moment of it. Luckily, she'd been walking a few paces in front of Arizona, so she didn't have to hide her sudden change of expression. Composing herself, she turned around and smiled briefly at the blonde. Gesturing to a rather flashy red convertible ahead, she spoke and hoped her voice didn't betray her inner conflict. "That's my car over there."

Arizona nodded, but wasn't really paying attention. One word was running on repeat through her brain – "adorable." Had Calliope really just called her adorable? She was pretty sure she had. Though Callie had definitely messed quite a bit with her normally logical head, she was fairly certain that she wasn't hallucinating. Granted, Callie probably meant nothing by the comment, but she still couldn't quell the rumblings of excitement in her stomach. As they came to a halt in front of an expensive red car, Arizona finally registered that it was Callie's ride.

Taking it in, she gasped. "This is your car?" She ran a hand across the slick finish of the hood. "It's gorgeous! How on earth do you afford it?"

Callie smiled. "Let's just say my dad's done pretty well with his business."

Arizona shook her head and grinned back. "Well, you're just full of surprises, aren't you, Calliope?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Callie lightly touched Arizona's arm and gave what Arizona could only describe as a flirty glance from beneath her long, dark eyelashes.

Unlocking the car, Callie headed toward the driver's side and got inside. What the hell was happening to her? There was no getting around it – she'd just flirted with Arizona . . . and she'd liked it. It felt right somehow. But how could that be? She'd never been attracted to women before. Sure, she found the occasional Hollywood actress attractive, but so what? She didn't have to be gay to notice when someone was beautiful. This was different though. She felt like a teenager – all hormones and tense energy, with no outlet for those feelings.

"This car suits you." Arizona said as she slid into the passenger seat. Callie was staring off into space, seemingly unaware that she was being spoken to. Arizona leaned over and placed a gentle hand on Callie's arm, which snapped her out her reverie. "Uh, Calliope? Everything okay?"

Realizing that Arizona was speaking to her and trying to ignore the blonde's electric touch on her arm, Callie smiled and nodded. "Sorry, just spaced out for a minute. I'm fine. What did you say?"

"I said this car suits you."

Callie smiled as she pulled out of the parking space and headed towards the exit. "I love it. It makes me feel all badass and sexy. It makes me feel like I can take on the world."

"It's a rock star kind of car. Just like you." Arizona smiled and gently patted her arm once more before leaning back into her seat.

Callie knew she was losing her mind now. The second Arizona had removed her hand, she felt empty, she felt incomplete. She'd never felt that way with any of her former boyfriends. Maybe she needed more sleep. Or maybe she was coming down with the flu or something. Clearly something was not as it should be.

They continued a light banter as she drove the short distance to where she was staying. Arizona gave her a confused look as she pulled up to one of the biggest and swankiest hotel/casinos in the city. "You live here?"

Callie nodded as she pulled up to the valet and got out the car. "I wasn't sure if I'd be staying here permanently, so for the time being, I'm staying at the hotel here. If I decide to stay, I'll look for a permanent place."

"Oh you're staying." Arizona grinned as she playfully slapped Callie on the arm. "I'm sure of it."

Callie gave her a look of disbelief. "How can you be so sure?"

"Oh, I just know you're going to be successful. Plus, now you've got friends here. You've got Mark and you've got me. I've got to be more awesome than your friends back in Miami."

Callie shot up an eyebrow. "So we're friends now?"

"Totally! Assuming you want to be, of course." Arizona added, suddenly unsure if Callie was having as much fun as she was.

Callie nodded. "Sure. You seem like you might be useful to have around, so I suppose I'll have to tolerate you."

"Hey!" Arizona protested, gently swatting Callie's arm again as they made their way to her hotel room.

As they headed into the elevator, an awkward silence suddenly replaced their flirtatious banter. Callie stared straight ahead, fighting the urge to inch closer to the peppy blonde who was currently also doing her best to appear nonchalant. Arizona was nervously fidgeting with her sleeve and gently chewing her bottom lip. It took every ounce of Callie's strength not to stare at that luscious mouth. God, she was adorable when she was nervous.

Callie let out a sigh of relief as the elevator dinged, announcing their arrival on her floor. Saved by the bell! Callie thought as they headed down the hall to her room. Callie pulled out her key card and inserted it into the lock. However, the lock was not cooperative – each time she inserted the card, a red light flashed, indicating that the door remained locked. Grumbling, Callie tried several more times to no avail.

Finally, Arizona reached over to take the key. "Let me try." As she leaned over, her hand grazed Callie's and their eyes locked. The air was suddenly thick with tension as Arizona's baby blues gazed up into Callie's chocolate orbs. Callie's breath hitched and she struggled to regain focus. Eventually, she shook herself out of it and removed her hand, letting Arizona try the lock. Naturally, it opened on the first try.

Both women headed into the room, silent as they both fought to replace their facades of neutrality before continuing their conversation.

The hotel room was enormous and decadent. Every surface gleamed with brass and marble fixtures. The bed, which was off in a room by itself, was huge. All of the furniture looked plush and ornate. As she took in the room, or suite, rather, Arizona turned and smiled back at Callie. "Only you, Calliope, would be living in a huge suite like this. It's awesome. Your dad again?" Callie nodded. "Where's the closet?" Arizona asked.

Callie pointed toward the door leading to a small walk-in closet as she watched the blonde make a bee-line for it. Arizona swung open the door and immediately began rifling through Callie's clothes. Soon articles of clothing came flying out the door. As Callie headed closer, a blouse hit her straight in the face. Callie removed the rogue garment and chuckled to herself. "Uh, Arizona. What exactly are you doing?"

"I'm finding you the perfect rock star outfit. What do you think I'm doing? Geez, you've got a lot of clothes . . . which is good." She mumbled as she continued shuffling through the hangers.

Callie took a moment to take in the sight before her. Arizona was muttering to herself, plowing through Callie's clothes, throwing things every which way as she searched. Callie couldn't help but admire the toned, firm behind that Arizona displayed as she bent over to pick up a shirt she'd previously discarded on the floor. Holding it up before her, Arizona examined it before shaking her head and redepositing it on the carpet.

She was something else. As Callie watched in amazement, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face. There was really only one word to describe the blonde in front of her . . . the same word she'd accidentally let slip earlier. There was no getting around it. Arizona Robbins was frickin' adorable. Unable to resist any longer, Callie joined her in the closet, standing slightly closer than was probably appropriate or advisable given the crazy feelings ravaging her body.

Arizona, sensing Callie's closeness behind her, turned slowly, offering a small smile as she gazed into Callie's deep brown eyes. She could practically feel the nervous energy emanating from the brunette's body, smell her unique and slightly exotic scent. Arizona gulped anxiously, hoping Callie hadn't noticed.

"Can I help you?" Callie offered, attempting to break the tension. "You look . . . flustered."

Arizona flashed her dimples, enjoying the closeness, but doing everything in her power to suppress the incessant urge to jump the brunette right then and there. "Nope. I think I've got it. Don't worry, I'll clean up my mess."

Callie shrugged and walked out, throwing herself in the nearest chair. Though she'd have liked to stay in there with Arizona, she had a feeling that it would not have been unwise. The way her body had had a mind of its own lately, there was no telling what it might do if left that close to Arizona for too long.

Finally, Arizona emerged from the closet holding several items of clothing. "You might as well just tell me I'm awesome right now and get it over with. You are going to look super hot and confident in this outfit." She grinned as she handed the items to Callie. Now go and change so we can see just how much of a rock star you are."

Callie nodded and took the items, heading into the now-destroyed closet and shutting the door behind her. Before changing, she took a moment to lean against the cool surface of the door and let out a huge sigh. She focused on taking long deep breaths in an attempt to regain control over her emotions. This was incredibly difficult given that the cause of all of this internal chaos was sitting directly on the other side of the door, waiting to see how "hot" she looked. Finally, Callie put her game face back on and changed into Arizona's selected outfit.

As the door opened, Arizona fought and lost the battle to keep her mouth from falling open in awe. Before her stood the most beautiful, sexy, bad ass vision she'd ever seen. Callie was wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans that hugged her gorgeous curves in exactly the right places. She had on a flowing red top that accentuated her cleavage in a sexy but tasteful way. Atop the shirt was a black leather jacket, something that Arizona immediately knew needed to become Callie's signature look. She was at a loss for words, her mouth suddenly without moisture. Arizona couldn't tear her gaze away as she struggled to maintain an even breathing pattern. It took every last ounce of willpower to keep from ripping off those carefully selected clothes and having her way with the brunette right then and there.

As Callie emerged from the closet, she could feel Arizona's bright blue eyes upon her, drinking in every last inch of her. Normally, had someone ogled her like that, she'd have been offended. Somehow, from Arizona, it was okay. More than okay, actually. She felt hot. She felt appreciated. She felt confident. She felt . . . right. And maybe a little turned on. Finally, shaking the thoughts aside, she smiled and did a little twirl, showing off her outfit. "So how do I look?"

"You look . . . amazing, Calliope. Like, super, super hot – but in a classy way." She gazed at her once again, head slightly cocked to the side as she pondered something. "Hang on. I think your look needs one more thing." She grabbed her purse and rummaged through it, finally coming up with the item she was looking for. "Here, put these on. A lot of players wear them at the poker table to hide their eyes from giving away anything."

Callie took a pair of aviator sunglasses from Arizona and put them on. She took Arizona's breath away. The leather jacket and the aviators, the tight jeans and strappy heels. She was a vision. Arizona sat there stunned and silently hoped she wasn't drooling. "Yeah, they're perfect," Arizona finally rasped, regaining her composure.

"But these are yours." Callie said.

"Consider them a gift. They're perfect. You're perfect. My little rock star." Arizona grinned, once again nearly causing Callie to pass out as she showed off those damn dimples.

Callie forced a smile and swallowed hard. Had Arizona just referred to her as _"her little rock star_?" Damn. Callie was screwed. She was falling . . . and fast.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: All Bets Are Off 5/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

After a few moments of heavy silence, Arizona stood and headed towards the door. "Come on, rock star. I happen to know there's a small stakes tournament in the casino downstairs that starts in a few minutes. It's the perfect time to test out your new look."

Callie took off the sunglasses and nodded. She felt a little like she was pretending to be someone she wasn't, but figured the new persona would grow on her with a little practice. Arizona gently and briefly put her hand on the small of Callie's back, and it felt so, so right. She followed the blonde out the door, desperately trying to gear her mind up for a game of poker, trying with every last ounce of her being to forget about the internal battle raging within her. This was not helped by the fact that every nerve ending in her body was standing on end from Arizona's brief touch, that her eyes were glued to the sexy rear end of the woman a few steps ahead of her, that her nose was filled with gentle wafts of Arizona's citrusy perfume, that her ears were still ringing with the joyful sound of her voice. She silently wondered what her perky lips would taste like. Hell, all of her senses were keyed in on one thing and one thing only. And it wasn't poker.

As they made their way to the poker room to register for the tournament, Callie silently hoped that she'd be assigned to a different table than Arizona. Not that she didn't want to spend time with her . . . quite the opposite in fact. She wanted it too much and she was afraid she'd make a major blunder due to her lack of focus. As they paid the cashier their entry fees, they were handed a computer-generated printout which told them their randomly assigned tables.

Arizona read her assignment. "I've got Table 2, Seat 3. What about you?"

Callie glanced down at her card. Her heart began to flutter uncontrollably. She couldn't even begin to convince herself that she was disappointed. "Table 2, Seat 4."

"So we're right next to each other. Super. I can spend some more time checking you out . . . uh checking your game out." Arizona quickly corrected herself, hoping Callie hadn't noticed her slip.

But of course Callie had. Arizona wanted to check her out. Why did that make her so excited? It's not like no one had ever shown interest in her. Guys had hit on her plenty – but she'd never felt the butterflies she was currently feeling. She swallowed hard and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "So, uh . . . I guess we should go take our seats." She silently thanked her lucky stars that if even if she hadn't avoided Arizona's table, at least they were next to each other. She wouldn't have to stare at her beautiful face all night. Maybe it would help her focus if she could only see her out of her periphery.

As soon as they sat down, Callie realized that sitting next to Arizona was an even bigger problem. A full poker table is not exactly spacious and personal space is at a minimum. Callie had even less space because the man to her left was about 7 feet tall and must have weighed 350 pounds. Needless to say, Callie was somewhat unwillingly pushed closer to Arizona. Okay, so maybe it wasn't exactly unwillingly, but being that close to her, practically touching her with every movement, breathing in her subtle scent, was not helping Callie focus.

The tournament got underway and was fairly uneventful for the most part. Well, uneventful apart from the fact that both women were completely on edge. Arizona felt as though her entire body was vibrating with electricity. As she reached for her chips during one hand, her arm grazed Callie's, sending shock waves through her whole being. She put on her best poker face and continued to play the hand. Somehow, she managed to keep it together and won the hand, despite the sexy leather-clad distraction next to her.

The time seemed to crawl by, neither woman able to truly concentrate on the game. Of course, Arizona had no one to blame but herself. She couldn't help herself. At every opportunity, she would "accidentally" brush against Callie, sending jolts of pleasure through both their bodies. It seemed as though Callie were doing the same thing. Occasionally, their knees would bump, their hands would touch. It was a very subtle, but very enticing dance.

As Arizona leaned to collect a small stack of chips she'd just won, she purposely bumped into Callie, the whole length of their bodies, from thigh to shoulder, touching in silent innuendo. Callie had to bite down on her lower lip to stifle the involuntary groan threatening to escape from her throat. She only hoped that she didn't outwardly appear as hot and bothered as she was feeling. If she knew what was good for her, she'd start leaning away, start making friendly with the giant to her left. However, there was no way that was going to happen. First, King Kong over there smelled like stale beer and cigarettes. Second, as much as her unspoken game with Arizona was driving her insane, it was also giving her the high of a lifetime. It was exquisite torture.

Their interaction reached a climax, when after about 45 minutes, the two women found themselves in a hand against one another. Looking down at a pair of Jacks, Callie made a raise, which forced all of the other players but Arizona to fold. Arizona glanced at her cards. She had two Aces, the best possible starting hand in poker. She looked over at Callie, studying her for any sign of what her hand was. For once, Callie kept her poker face intact, staring down at the table and refusing to return Arizona's gaze. Arizona reached for some chips, purposely brushing against Callie's arm as she did so. She took a moment, expertly shuffling the chips between her fingers before throwing them into the center of the table.

As she did so, Arizona smirked at Callie. "Re-raise you, 150 more."

Callie pondered her next move for a moment. Jacks were a pretty good starting hand, but there were a lot of hands that could beat her. If Arizona had Aces, Kings, or Queens, she was going to have trouble winning. After a moment, unable to resist playing against the object of her constant thoughts, Callie matched Arizona's bet and added chips to the pot. After she did so, the dealer laid out the first three community cards face up on the table. Callie's heart caught in her throat as she took in the cards on the table. They were, Jack, Jack, and Ace. In other words, Callie had 4 Jacks.

Arizona was also thrilled at the turn of cards. The cards revealed gave her a full house, one of the strongest hands in poker. What she didn't anticipate was that Callie had just made an even rarer hand – four of a kind. Both women, confident in the strength of their hands, began to toy with one another. Callie smirked and removed her sunglasses so she could look directly into Arizona's eyes as she grabbed a large stack of poker chips. She slid them into the center of the table. "I'll bet 500." She announced.

Arizona beamed back and rested her chin in her hand. Leaning over a bit flirtatiously as she drummed her fingers against the side of her face, Arizona shot Callie a curious look. "You sure that was wise, Calliope? I'm not sure you want to mess around with me."

Callie smirked right back at her, never averting her gaze from Arizona's baby blues. "Oh, I definitely want to mess around with you." The tension was intoxicating. After a moment, Arizona nodded and simply matched Callie's bet, not wanting to scare her off with a huge raise. What Arizona didn't know was that she was dead meat and that Callie was about to crush her.

The dealer turned over the next community card, which was an irrelevant and non-eventful 7 of hearts. Callie began to reach for more of her chips, eyeing the bubbly blonde the whole time to gauge her reaction. "Make it 1000." She announced once more as she added chips to the pot. "Really, Calliope? You're ready to play with me?"

Callie arched her eyebrow, challenging Arizona. "Totally ready to play. Why? Are _you_ scared?" As she said that, she couldn't resist reaching out and briefly touching Arizona's forearm. God, Callie thought. What were they doing? Whatever it was, it was hot. Arizona smiled and once again called Callie's bet.

The dealer revealed the final card, which again, did nothing to change the strength of their hands. Callie would win this hand, unless she folded, which was not about to happen. Just as Callie went to reach for her chips, she let out an involuntary gasp. The cause of her outburst was sitting right next to her.

Arizona was feeling bold for some reason. Maybe it was the rush of having a great hand. Maybe it was the stream of endorphins caused by her flirtatious banter with Calliope. Who knew? Whatever it was, she was feeling a little like taking a risk. Just as Callie went to make her next bet, Arizona slipped off her shoe and silently began rubbing her foot up and down Callie's calf. Who said she had to play fair? Judging by her reaction, Callie was enjoying their little game as much as she was.

Feeling Arizona playing secret footsie under the table did nothing for Callie's concentration. Swallowing hard, she struggled to figure out her next move. Ignoring Arizona's foot, she shifted to gaze directly into her eyes once again. She smirked and put on her most flirtatious air. "You seem nervous, Arizona. Fidgeting a lot aren't we?" She said, making subtle reference to Arizona's secret touches below the table. "Afraid I'm going to_ top _you?" She smirked again, recognizing the double-meaning of her words. God, playing this hand was like foreplay. Really, really good foreplay. Callie shook the thought from her head – did she even want to go there with a woman? Yes, Callie finally had to admit. She did. At least she did with _this_ particular woman. Callie finally added another bet to the pot and waited for Arizona's next move in their little tango.

Arizona withdrew her foot, needing to focus on making her next poker move. As much as she'd been trying to distract Callie, she also had been affected by the touch. She chewed on her lip in a contemplative manner as she studied Callie. It was much harder to read her than she'd thought. Callie was all confidence and smirks. It was damn sexy. Finally, deciding there was really only one move to make, Arizona shifted the rest of her chips to the center. "So, I'm all in. How about you, Calliope? Willing to live dangerously? Willing to take a chance?"

Callie chuckled, knowing Arizona's flirtatious grin was about to be destroyed. Callie nodded. "I am _so_ in." Once again enjoying their not-so-subtle sexual innuendo, she shoved her remaining chips into the pot. As Callie expected, Arizona's face fell as they revealed their hands and she realized Callie had beaten her.

"Uh. . . nice hand, Calliope." Arizona said as she gathered her things to leave the table. Since Arizona had lost all of her chips, she was knocked out of the tournament. Callie placed an apologetic hand on Arizona's arm as she rose from the table. Luckily, both women were too wrapped up in their exchange to notice the smirks coming from a few men at the table and didn't hear the remarks about how hot it was to see "two chicks going at it."

Rather than choosing to sulk, Arizona spent the rest of the time watching Callie play from the sidelines. Callie did pretty well, holding her own for a good portion of the tournament. However, Arizona realized that Callie still made a pretty amateur mistake – she relied too much on the odds and the math and not enough on reading the other players. But that was easily fixed with practice - and was something Arizona knew a lot about.

Callie managed to last long enough in the tournament to earn some money before she was finally knocked out in 10th place. Callie was a little depressed as she made her way over to join Arizona. She smiled weakly. "I can't believe you stood here and watched me the whole time."

Arizona shrugged. "You're fun to watch." She paused as she gazed at Callie. "You look a little down."

"A little. Kind of wish I'd lasted a little longer."

"You did great! You made money. Come on, I'll buy you a drink and have you cheered up in no time." Arizona led Callie towards the nearest bar.

Callie could only smile. She had no doubt that Arizona's perky demeanor would rub off on her in short order. That, combined with the fact that Callie couldn't think of anything better than spending time with the blonde, immediately lightened her mood. Arizona was right about one thing, Callie had to admit. She was pretty awesome.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: All Bets Are Off 6/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

The two women made their way over to a bar within the casino, both silent, lost in their thoughts. They ordered their drinks at the bar and made their way to a table in the corner.

For a moment, neither spoke. Callie felt decidedly uncomfortable. She chewed on her lip nervously and stared into her rum and coke, fiddling with the straw. Finally, she looked up and caught Arizona studying her. Arizona offered a silent smile and continued to stare. Her smile suggested some internal laughter at a joke that Callie was obviously missing. It was a knowing smile. What she knew, Callie wasn't sure. But it was making her flushed, embarrassed, and more than a little turned on.

Finally, apparently deciding she'd silently teased Callie enough, Arizona cleared her throat. "So, uh. Tell me more about yourself, Calliope. I know you're an accountant . . . or that you used to be anyway. I know you used to work for your father . . . and that he's done pretty well for himself. And I know that you have an asshole for an ex-boyfriend. Tell me something more."

Callie smiled, feeling a little more at ease. Maybe it was because Arizona had stopped staring at her like she was her next meal. Or perhaps it was the effects of the alcohol slowly taking over. "Fine, but then you have to return the favor. Other than knowing why you were named Arizona, I don't know really anything about you."

"Fair enough." Arizona smiled and nodded.

"So . . . where to begin. Some of this you already know. I grew up in Miami. I've been lucky in many respects. My father owns a chain of hotels and I've never wanted for anything. I have a younger sister, Aria. We don't really see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but I love her anyway. She'll always be my baby sister. Let's see, what else? . . . I've always loved a challenge. I played softball growing up and even played in college. My competitive nature has kind of always led me through, whether it's in school, sports, and so on. I guess that's what drew me to poker. It was a new challenge."

Arizona smiled, but said nothing, wanting Callie to take her time, to say whatever was on her mind.

"Anyway . . ." Callie played with her drink, deciding what else to say. "I told you already about what finally made me come out here to Vegas. I think the whole thing with my ex really shook me out of my comfort zone. So I packed my bags, told my father I needed some time to 'find myself' or whatever, and that he could reach me on my cell if he needed me. I didn't tell anyone where I was going."

"Why not?"

Callie thought about her response. "A few reasons. First and foremost, I wanted some time to try this poker thing out by myself – with no distractions." Callie smiled to herself as she thought about the giant distraction currently sitting across from her. "I figured if I let people know where I was, they'd interfere. I wouldn't have been surprised if my ex had showed up here, all apologies and charm, trying to win me back. Also, like I said, I've never had to worry about anything. My father's always taken care of me. Made things too easy. While I'm grateful, it can be smothering. I wanted a chance to prove to myself that I can do this, on my own, with no one helping me or doing it for me. Lastly, my parents, especially my father, are a bit conservative. If he found out I was trying out a new career as a 'gambler,' he'd probably go through the roof. Before I fight that battle with him, I want to make sure I'm good enough and that I enjoy it enough."

Arizona nodded. "It makes sense. But couldn't your dad track your whereabouts, if he's paying for the hotel and whatnot?"

"I'm sure he could if he really wanted to. I have a trust fund, so he doesn't directly see where I spend my money, unless he goes looking. However, even though my dad can be overbearing, he also loves me and I think he respects my wishes enough to know that I need some time alone."

"Well, I for one think it's awesome that you decided to come out here, Calliope. It's great to see your determination and courage – a lot of people are plenty happy just to live in their comfort zone, never really taking any risks. I admire you." She reached across the table and gently placed her hand atop Callie's. Callie's first impulse was to pull her hand away, the energy pulsing through their joined skin unnerving her. However, it felt too good, too right, and she knew she'd regret it if she ended the contact. She reached for her drink with the other hand and quickly downed it, signaling to the waitress for another round. She was going to need all the liquid courage she could get if Arizona continued to have this effect on her.

Regaining her composure, Callie glanced over at Arizona, who still had her hand atop Callie's. "So . . . uh . . . tell me about you."

Arizona smirked. She had a pretty good idea of what was bothering the sexy brunette sitting across from her. She had this idea, because she was feeling the exact same thing. This electric, sizzling, connection, one that was better than the best drug on the planet. She was all sorts of high on Calliope Torres and she'd barely touched her. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to actually kiss her . . . to make love to her. She had a feeling she might never recover.

Callie's question brought Arizona out of her reverie. "Well, I'm from . . . well, all over. My dad's a Marine, so we moved a lot when I was growing up. I lived on various military bases – that's where I learned to play poker. Let's see . . . I have 2 siblings – a brother and a sister. Amy, my sister, lives with her husband and two kids in Boston. Danny, my brother . . . he died in Iraq two years ago. He was in the service like my dad."

"I'm so sorry." Callie gently squeezed Arizona's hand.

Arizona nodded and continued. "It's been hard. It gets a little easier each day, but it'll never stop hurting." She sighed. "Anyway . . . I went to college in New York. Thought about going to med school for a while, but decided to give this poker thing a try. That's how I ended up here . . . obviously." She grinned. "Not sure what else to tell you. What else do you want to know?"

Callie pondered that for a moment. It occurred to her, that even though Mark had told her that Arizona was gay, she'd never outwardly admitted it to Callie. Also, for all Callie knew, she could be in a relationship. All of this innuendo and flirting could just be one-sided wishful thinking on her part. "So . . . are you seeing anyone? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? You and Teddy seem close."

Arizona laughed. "Me and Teddy! Oh, no. Never. I'm not really her type, seeing as she likes men and all. We're just friends. And no, I'm not seeing anyone. It would be rather horrible of me to be shamelessly flirting with a certain hot brunette if I were in a relationship, wouldn't it." Arizona's smile froze on her face as she realized what she'd just said aloud. Not exactly subtle. Clearly the alcohol was clouding her judgment. Oh, hell. Screw subtlety. Unless her radar was way off, Callie was feeling the same thing she was. And their little game of flirtation hadn't seemed all that one-sided.

Callie's throat went dry when Arizona outwardly admitted she'd been flirting with her and that she was _hot_. Of course, Callie would have been blind not to notice . . . and she'd done her own share of flirting right back . . . but hearing Arizona actually verbalize it put things on a whole other level. The wash of emotions stunned her into silence. She was elated . . . she was anxious . . . she was scared . . . she was confused . . . but mostly, she was relieved. She knew where they stood. It was up to her to decide whether she wanted things to progress any further. She knew she should take her time, but she also knew that deep down, the decision had already been made.

Arizona, sensing Callie's discomfort, silently cursed herself. She took a giant swallow of her drink. As a star poker player, she prided herself on her ability to read people. But she was having trouble getting a good read on Callie. She was pretty sure that Callie wanted this as much as she did, but maybe not. It seemed like Callie had some feelings for her, but she maybe she had come on too strong. She'd clearly rattled her. She needed to remember that Callie was new at all this. She'd been with only men before, as far as Arizona knew. She'd better slow down. Attempting to lighten the mood, she changed the subject.

The two women quickly fell back into an easy conversation, ignoring the subject that was really on both of their minds. As the night wore on, both became a little intoxicated and their flirting became a little more overt. After a few hours, they decided to call it a night.

"Do you want me to drive you back to your car?" Callie suggested. "Actually . . . I'm not sure either one of us is really in a position to drive. I could pay for a cab."

Arizona nodded, sad that their night was coming to an end.

"Or . . ." Callie stared down at her hands nervously as she decided whether or not to suggest what she was thinking. Finally, she summoned her courage. "Or you could just stay with me tonight. You've seen my suite. I've definitely got room . . . but don't feel like you have to or anything . . . you'd probably rather get home . . . it was a stupid idea."

Arizona reached up and gently placed a finger against Callie's lips. "You talk too much when you're tipsy, Calliope. I'd love to stay over. We can get my car in the morning." She was thrilled. Obviously her earlier slip about the flirting hadn't scared Callie off. Things were looking promising.

Callie smiled and nodded, secretly elated to spend a little more time with Arizona. They turned and headed to her room in silence.

When they got up to the room, Callie rummaged around and found some pajamas for Arizona to borrow. They changed and got ready for bed. Neither one really wanted to sleep, but struggled to find something to say.

After a few moments of staring at each other in tense silence, Callie spoke. "So . . . one thing you're going to have to teach me."

"What's that?"

"If I'm going to be this super-confident bad ass poker diva, I'm going to need to learn those fancy chip tricks you do. You know, where you shuffle the chips between your fingers?"

Arizona nodded. "No problem. It's easy with a little practice." She went to her purse and rummaged around, pulling out a small stack of chips that she kept on hand to tip the cocktail waitresses. "Let's go over to the desk – you'll need a hard surface to practice on."

They headed over to the desk and Callie sat down in the chair. "So you basically put them in two equal stacks, and then put them between your fingers, like so." Arizona grabbed Callie's hand and positioned it correctly. She lingered, perhaps a little longer than necessary, enjoying the feel of Callie's hand within hers. "Then . . . uh . . . you just apply pressure with your fingers to the outside edges of the stacks, kind of forcing them to lift up and towards each other."

Callie tried, but all she managed to do was to send the chips flying in every direction. Arizona chuckled and picked up the scattered chips. "Watch me do it." She demonstrated, slowly, so that Callie could get the idea. After a few shuffles, she handed the chips back to the brunette. "Now you try again." Once more, the chips scattered across the desk.

"It's harder than it looks." Callie grumbled. "You make it look so easy."

Arizona smiled. "It just takes some patience. You'll get it. Here, let me help you." She stood behind Callie, and reached her arm around, covering Callie's hand with hers.

The sensation was delicious. Callie struggled to stifle the groan in her throat. As Arizona helped her hand make the correct motion, her entire body was pressed against Callie's. She could feel the length of Arizona's arm atop her own, her hand holding hers, her perky breasts teasing against her back. Callie was suddenly on fire. As Arizona demonstrated, her breath tickled the nape of Callie's neck. Callie was so distracted that she didn't even notice when she finally managed, with Arizona's help, to properly shuffle the chips.

"You did it." Arizona said, in a husky tone, attempting to ignore the feel of Callie's luscious body pressed against her own. Swallowing hard, she hesitated, and decided, out of selfish motivation, not to immediately withdraw her body from Callie's. As she spoke, Callie had turned to look up at her, a look that briefly showed elation at her success. However, that look was quickly replaced by one of unequivocal desire. Her deep chocolate eyes darkened unmistakably with lust.

Callie couldn't take it anymore. This sultry dance they'd been playing at had to end. She gazed up into Arizona's gorgeous blue eyes and saw the same desire she felt reflected back at her. It was time to stop being scared . . . to stop living in denial. She shifted slightly, turning so that she was facing Arizona.

Their gazes never wavered as both women arduously crept closer together, slowly closing the gap between them. Just as their lips were about to meet, Arizona pulled back. She wanted this. She wanted it bad. But it didn't seem right. They were drunk. It was late. She wasn't even sure Callie really wanted this. Sure, she wanted it now, but who knows how she'd feel in the morning, after the alcoholic haze had worn off. Arizona wanted to make sure she did this right. She felt like she'd be taking unfair advantage of Callie if she let her lust overcome her brain at this particular moment. It killed her, but she had to pull back. "I . . . uh. It's late. I should get some sleep. I've got an appointment in the morning. I'll just go make up a bed on the couch.

Callie was hurt. Clearly she'd done something wrong. She'd finally given in to her feelings, only to have Arizona reject her. She was bewildered beyond belief. She struggled to figure out what had happened, but she was tipsy and her brain was not firing on all cylinders. Callie watched as Arizona made her way to the couch. "Wait. It's stupid for you to sleep there. The bed is huge – plenty of room for us to share . . . that is . . . if you don't mind sharing . . . I mean, I understand if you don't feel comfortable . . ."

Arizona smiled reassuringly at Callie, realizing that maybe she'd just hurt her feelings. "Thanks, Calliope, I'd like that." As they headed to the bed, she struggled to find a way to put Callie's mind at ease. As they took opposite sides of the bed, she turned over to face Callie. Gently placing a hand on Callie's cheek, she smiled. "I'm so glad I met you, Calliope. I think we're going to have a lot of fun together. We're going to be an awesome pair, you and I." With that, she turned over and shut off the light.

Callie spent a good deal too much time staring at the ceiling, mulling over thoughts about the sleeping beauty beside her. What did this all mean? One minute, Arizona was shamelessly flirting with her, the next minute, she was pulling away. She thought they'd "have fun together" and that they'd "make an awesome pair." What the hell did that mean? She was so confused. Finally, mentally and emotionally exhausted, she fell into a deep slumber.

When Arizona woke the next morning, she awoke to the most pleasant sensation she'd had in quite a while. Even if they weren't consciously willing to admit their feelings yet, their unconscious selves clearly were. In the night, they'd shifted. Somehow, Arizona's head had come to rest on Callie's shoulder, one arm slung loosely around her waist. One of Callie's arms cradled her from behind. Unwilling to disturb Callie and possibly end their embrace, Arizona contented herself to just lie in her arms, thinking about what bright possibilities might be on the horizon.

Callie pretended to sleep, enjoying the feel, the smell, every sensation of the blonde in her arms. She wasn't sure how they'd migrated towards each other, but she knew one thing. It was perfect. She could see herself waking up like this every morning for the rest of her life. That thought sent a jolt running through her. She'd known Arizona for less than a week and she was already making plans about the future! That was scary . . . and thrilling . . . and just . . . right.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: All Bets Are Off 7/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: Hopefully this chapter works – I wrote it in a bit of a rush because for some reason I feel the need to try and post every day. I'll be away from the computer for the next 8 or 9 hours, so wanted to get this posted before I leave. Haven't had a chance to proofread – will correct mistakes later. Maybe if I'm lucky and just do a little begging, I'll come home to a slew of comments (good or bad or even just to tell me you're reading). Comments=love. :-)

Eventually, the annoying reality of the morning interrupted their mutual reverie as Arizona's alarm blared through the silence. Both women, feigning an abrupt wake up, stirred. Arizona lazily picked up her head up off of Callie's shoulder and gazed into her eyes.

"Oops." She offered a shy smile. "Guess I must have shifted during the night. I hope I didn't make you too uncomfortable."

Callie smiled back, unsure how much of what she was really feeling to reveal. "No . . . uh . . . it was fine. I didn't mind at all."

Arizona took a moment to look into her deep brown eyes, trying to get some sort of read on what Callie's words had really meant. Was she being polite? Was she feeling anything close to what she herself was feeling? Callie needed to apply whatever tricks she was using here to the poker table – she'd be a star in no time. Finally, giving up, she sat up. "Well, uh . . . I should get dressed. I've got to go do a book signing in a few hours."

Callie sat up in surprise. "You have a book?"

"Yeah. You didn't know? For someone who wants to be a pro, you sure don't seem to know a lot about the poker world."

"Yeah, I guess not. I never really got into watching poker on tv or anything. I read a few books on poker strategy, but obviously not yours. I'll have to buy a copy. Now I'm curious to see what your take is."

Arizona smirked. "Oh, you don't need to do that. I'm giving you private lessons, remember."

Callie blushed, thinking again about their encounter last night with the chip tricks. Then her heart sank a little as she remembered Arizona's decision to pull away. Putting on a brave face, she got out of bed and went to find some clothes. She called over to Arizona. "So, you want me to drive you back to your car?"

Arizona shook her head. "That's okay, I can catch a cab. I don't want to be a hassle." Of course, she really did want to be a hassle – a daily hassle – a constant interruption in Callie's life, but she reminded herself to pace things slowly.

"It's not a problem. I want to. I like to . . . " Callie cut herself off – she'd been about to admit that she liked spending every minute with Arizona. Catching herself, she continued. "I'd like to get some sunlight and fresh air. Spending all day in a casino makes you lose track of the days, of the weather."

Arizona beamed. "Okay, super!" She didn't attempt to mask her enthusiasm. Even though it was just a short drive, it was a little extra time. Hoping that she could extend their time further, she contemplated her next move. "So . . . what are your plans for today?"

"Well, the Rio has a decent-sounding tournament starting at noon. I thought maybe I'd go over there and play."

Arizona nodded in agreement. "It's a good tourney. I play it on occasion. It gets some real pros sometimes – you'll get some good practice against them. Of course, there will be your fair share of amateurs and tourists who think they know how to play. Keep your eyes out for them – they're easy pickings."

They got in the car and began the short drive to Arizona's car. They drove in comfortable silence, both lost in their thoughts. Callie silently debated whether to do what her heart was screaming for her to do. Finally, gathering her courage, she reached over and laid her hand atop of Arizona's, which was resting atop the gear shifter.

Arizona let out a small gasp of surprise as she looked down at their joined hands. She looked up and offered Callie a small dimpled smile. They chose to continue the ride in joyful silence. They were bridging the gap towards each other . . . slowly . . . but they were getting there.

As Callie pulled to a halt near Arizona's car, Arizona leaned over and gave her a chaste peck on the cheek. "Thanks so much, Calliope. For everything. I've had an amazing time with you."

Arizona exited the car and Callie felt as though all of the energy, all of the life inside her vehicle had just been sucked out. She was going crazy . . . this woman was driving her insane . . . it was scary . . . it was intense . . . it was thrilling. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her window. She rolled it down to see what Arizona wanted.

"What's your phone number? I'll give you a call. Maybe we can hook up later?" Arizona held up her phone, ready to enter Callie's number.

Callie was temporarily speechless. Had she just said hook up? Of course, she didn't mean _hook up_, she meant meet up. But Callie's mind couldn't help but go there.

"Uh . . . Calliope? Hello? Earth to Calliope?" Arizona waved a hand in front of her face, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, uh, right." Callie quickly rattled off her digits and Arizona typed them into her phone.

"Super! I'll talk to you later. Good luck in the tournament, Calliope." And with that, the blonde ball of energy and sexiness was gone. Callie leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes, pausing to take some deep breaths. She was in serious trouble. And that trouble was named Arizona Robbins.

Both women spent the next part of the day doing as they'd planned. Arizona was bored out of her mind, sitting in a bookstore, signing copies of her book on poker for eager fans. Normally, she loved meeting her fans, but her heart just wasn't in it that day. Probably because her heart wasn't even in the bookstore – it was over at the Rio with a certain hot brunette. Arizona silently thanked her lucky stars that she'd developed a pretty decent poker face and was able to give each of her fans a smile and a kind word.

Similarly, Callie headed over to the tournament at the Rio, struggling to focus on the poker and not on the fact that she already missed Arizona. The strength and depth of the feelings she was experiencing was a new and frankly terrifying experience for her. It was as if she couldn't breathe and Arizona was her only source of oxygen. What was even more frightening was the fact that they weren't even together. Sure, they had both flirted, they had both toyed, they had both hinted, but nothing had happened. And yet, she was already feeling as though the one for her, the one she was meant to be with, for eternity, was none other than Arizona Robbins.

Callie took her seat at her assigned table, suddenly feeling like the game wasn't going to be the same – not the same challenge, not the same thrill, because Arizona wasn't there to experience it with her. She shook this thought away. She needed to get a grip. Even if she ended up with Arizona, which was still a big _if_, it wasn't like she'd be able to spend every waking moment with her, that she'd be able to play poker only when Arizona was there. Summoning her courage, she managed to push aside her feelings and focused on the game.

After Arizona's book signing came to an end, she took some time to run some errands and ran home for a much needed shower. She'd been so distracted by Calliope that she'd been running around in the same clothes for two days and had neglected her personal hygiene. Hopefully her fans hadn't noticed.

Once she was refreshed, she found herself drawn back to her car, heading to the only place she wanted to be – the Rio – to see if Callie was still there. She knew she should have called, but she wanted to see her and she wanted it now.

Callie had done well. She'd employed all of her skills – making the right moves, folding her hands when she thought she should, playing off of her opponents' weaknesses, and had managed to gain a good number of chips. She was on fire, playing as if she couldn't lose.

Callie had made it down to the final two. It was her against a seasoned pro named Derek Shepherd. She'd heard of him and was naturally a bit nervous. She struggled to focus, her nerves getting the better of her. She was so intent on the cards, that she hadn't noticed the blonde spectator who had just crept in to watch her.

Arizona was thrilled to see that Callie had made it all the way to the end of the tournament. She was heads up against Derek, who would definitely make it hard for Callie. He was a solid player and wouldn't let her get away with anything. It also didn't help that Derek had about twice as many chips as Callie.

Arizona observed the action for a while, when finally, it looked as though there was a hand that might end the tournament. Callie had pushed all of her chips into the center, announcing she was all in. Callie began to chew on her lip nervously and Arizona's heart sank. It was clear, at least to Arizona, that Callie was not confident about her hand. She was obviously on some sort of bluff . . . and if Arizona could see it, no doubt a good player like Derek would pick up on it. Sure enough, Derek matched her bet. He turned over a pair of nines, which was good enough to beat Callie's pair of threes. She'd been knocked out in second place.

Callie was heartbroken. She rose from the table and quickly shook Derek's hand before making her escape. She was in such haste that she didn't notice Arizona waiting for her. She was brought out of her thoughts by a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Hey." Arizona said as Callie looked up.

"Hey. I didn't know you were here. I take it you saw my humiliation."

"That wasn't humiliating, Calliope. You came in second place! Against a great player. You were awesome. Sure, your poker face and reading skills still need a little work, but you'll get there. Most people would be thrilled with a second place finish. It's amazing."

Callie smiled wanly. "You're right. But why do I feel like a failure?"

"Because you're an idiot." Arizona grinned and punched her playfully on the arm. "Now come on, if you're not doing anything, I'll make you dinner."

Suddenly in a better mood, Callie quickly agreed. After collecting her second place prize money from the cashier, they headed out. Callie followed Arizona in her car to Arizona's place, which was just a short drive away.

When they got there, they stared at each in awkward silence for a few minutes. Finally Arizona spoke up. "You looked tired and stressed."

Callie nodded. "A little. They don't tell you how much sitting at a poker table all day messes with your muscles. I am so stiff and sore."

"It totally does. I get regular massages and should own stock in a bubble bath company for as many hot baths as I take. I take one after every tournament – it de-stresses me. Speaking of which, it's going to take some time for me to cook, why don't I run you a bath while I make dinner. You can unwind a bit." Callie quickly agreed, a hot soak sounding like heaven.

Arizona made dinner while Callie soaked. She struggled to focus, not wanting to take off one of her fingers with her knife. It was difficult, when all she could think of was the naked woman a room away.

Callie finally emerged from the bathroom and they had dinner, with easy conversation.

After they cleaned up their meal, they made their way over to the couch. Arizona smiled. "So seriously, Calliope, you did awesome today."

"Yeah . . . but Derek could obviously read me like a book – and I couldn't do the same to him. Can you help me with that?"

"Sure. It's just something that takes some practice. How about this. We'll take turns telling each other something. Then the other person has to decide if they're bluffing – if they're lying or not. That way, you'll get practice reading me and also practice your own skills of deception."

Callie agreed. "Okay, I'll go first. Ummm . . . my middle name is Iphigenia."

Arizona studied her. "I hope for your sake that you're lying, but somehow, I think that's true."

"Damn. Got me . . . and I hate it too. Not sure what my parents were smoking when they named me that."

Arizona smiled. "Okay, when I was in high school, I had a poster of Cindy Crawford on my bedroom wall."

Callie cocked her head and studied the blonde. "I'm going to say that's true."

"Super!" Arizona said, letting Callie know she was right.

"I'm afraid of heights." Callie said.

"Hmmm. . . somehow I think that's true."

Callie shook her head. "Nope."

"Damn. Oh well, it shows you're learning!" Arizona replied. "Okay, my turn. I really like spending time with you."

Callie smiled. "Well since you'd be really mean to admit to lying about that, I'm going say that's true . . . and that I feel the same way."

Arizona nodded.

"I feel something between us . . . and I'm not sure what it is, but I like it . . . a lot."

Arizona smiled, loving the way this game was suddenly headed. "True. I feel it too."

It was Callie's turn to grin. "I assume that's not a lie. Okay . . ." She looked briefly into Arizona's eyes before nervously fidgeting with her fingernails. Not making eye contact, she mumbled her next line. "I want nothing more than to kiss you right now . . . and that scares me a little."

Arizona's heart swelled. She let out a husky sigh as she gently lifted Callie's chin so that she could gaze into her eyes. "Then I guess I'd better hope I'm reading you right . . ." With that, she gently captured Callie's lips with her own.

The kiss started out slow and gentle as they both explored the sensation. Quickly though, it turned in a decidedly more heated direction. Arizona's tongue gently teased the seam of Callie's lips, silently asking for permission to enter. A low hum echoed from Callie's throat as she granted Arizona entrance, snaking her arms around the blonde's waist, drawing her closer. Their tongues tangled, transferring all of the built up tension and emotion that neither had been able to verbalize. Arizona pulled back hesitantly, resting her forehead against Callie's.

Doubt crept into Callie's expression. "Did I do something wrong?"

Arizona smiled. "Not at all. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going too fast for you."

Callie shook her head. That was all the answer Arizona needed as she crashed her lips against Callie's once more. They were falling, as if going over a waterfall of emotion, and neither was in any position to stop their descent . . . not that either one wanted to.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: All Bets Are Off 8/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

The kiss started out slow and gentle as they both explored the sensation. Quickly though, it turned in a decidedly more heated direction. Arizona's tongue gently teased the seam of Callie's lips, silently asking for permission to enter. A low hum echoed from Callie's throat as she granted Arizona entrance, snaking her arms around the blonde's waist, drawing her closer. Their tongues tangled, transferring all of the built up tension and emotion that neither had been able to verbalize. Arizona pulled back hesitantly, resting her forehead against Callie's.

Doubt crept into Callie's expression. "Did I do something wrong?"

Arizona smiled. "Not at all. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going too fast for you."

Callie shook her head. That was all the answer Arizona needed as she crashed her lips against Callie's once more. They were falling, as if going over a waterfall of emotion, and neither was in any position to stop their descent . . . not that either one wanted to.

Needing to feel even closer, Arizona shifted, swinging her leg over Callie's so that she was straddling her. Callie reached up and ran her hand roughly through Arizona's blonde tresses, pulling her back down for another kiss, fitting her mouth to Arizona's.

Callie lowered her hands, taking her time sampling, her fingers spread over the blonde's rib cage, stopping just short of the curve of her breasts. She couldn't stop her breath from quickening as Arizona's tongue flicked over her lips, between them, met her own. Her taste was sweet and uniquely feminine, and it streaked straight to her center like an arrow on a target.

Callie was lost in the magic of the kiss. She'd never felt anything quite like it before. Sure, she'd had her fair share of romantic encounters, but somehow, she felt as though she'd never really been kissed before tonight. Suddenly, each and every of her senses was awake and alert for the first time in her life.

Finally, unable to breathe or string together any coherent thoughts, Arizona pulled away and rolled off of Callie. The brunette gave her a confused look. Arizona shot her a super magic smile that practically lit up the entire room. She reached over and placed a gentle, chaste kiss on Callie's pouty lips. "You're so adorable when you're confused, Calliope. Don't look so sad." She rubbed a gentle hand across Callie's cheek.

"Why did you stop . . . again? I'm not good at this, am I?"

Arizona rolled her eyes. "Calliope, we really need to work on your confidence. You are definitely . . . good . . . at . . . this." Arizona interrupted each word with a quick kiss. "We need to work on your confidence, babe. You are awesome at this. In fact, a little too awesome. I stopped because if I hadn't, I would have had my way with you right here on this couch." Arizona smirked as she shot Callie her signature dimples.

"And what's wrong with that?" Callie grumbled, attempting to pull Arizona back in for another embrace.

"Uh . . . uh . . . no. We're not doing this. Stop looking at me like I just took away your favorite toy." Arizona pulled back, struggling to maintain her resolve, which was becoming increasingly difficult.

"But you did."

Arizona laughed heartily. "Maybe I did. However, we are not going to rush this, Calliope. As much as I am _dying_ inside right now, I know it's the right thing to do. You're new at this, so we shouldn't rush. But it's not just for you. It's for me as well. I tend to hurry through things too much – just jump into bed without developing a deeper connection first. What I'm feeling for you, Calliope, I can already tell is special, something that needs to be cherished. I don't want to ruin it by hurrying things. So no, as much as it kills me to say this, I think I should walk you to your car, give you an awesome kiss goodnight that we'll be both thinking about all night, and then send you on your way."

"Finnnneee." Callie pouted as she rose from the couch and began to gather her things. They headed out the door, fingers loosely laced together.

"I'm registering my official protest. You, Arizona Robbins, are a tease. And at some point in the future, I will make you pay for that." Callie grinned as she pulled Arizona's body flush against hers before pressing her against the cool metal of the car, recapturing her lips in a kiss whose intensity threatened to break the last thread of resolve that Arizona was clinging to. Callie reached around and grabbed Arizona's hips, pulling them into her own as she gyrated against the blonde, her tongue mimicking the motion in Arizona's mouth.

A low groan escaped from Arizona's throat as she ran her hands through Callie's raven locks. Finally, out of breath and hot beyond belief, Arizona pushed her away. "Good night, Calliope. I'll call you in the morning." With that, she turned on her heel and headed back inside the house.

If Callie wasn't mistaken (and she wasn't), the damn woman was swaying her hips in an accentuated and sultry fashion, just to get another rise out of her. Callie let out a frustrated sigh and got into her car, intent on heading back to her hotel for an extremely cold shower. If she wasn't careful, Arizona was going to be the death of her.

After Arizona returned inside, she collapsed on the couch and let out a frustrated sigh. It had taken every ounce of strength left inside of her to put a stop to their evening's activities. Even though her mind, even her heart told her it was the right thing to do, her entire body screamed in protest. She could not remember being this affected by another woman . . . ever. Not even close. And she'd been with plenty. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on steadying her breathing, concentrating on putting out the fire inside her. Somehow, she felt that if she were to continue seeing Callie, which there was no question that she was, she was going to need the entire Las Vegas Fire Department to put out the constant state of inferno she was living in.

Neither woman slept well that night. Partly because they both spent a good portion of time reliving their embraces, reminiscing, remembering each and every touch, taste, feel. However, this was not the only cause of sleeplessness. They'd only spent one night together and yet both felt empty and alone without the other beside them in bed. It was thought the other had always been there – a comforting security blanket that had suddenly been ripped away.

Callie dragged herself out of bed to go meet Mark for coffee. She was not in any mood to do so, but he had been incessantly hounding her all morning to the point where she had finally given in. The lack of sleep and the loneliness she felt after just a few hours apart from Arizona finally wore her down. Throwing on the first set of wrinkled clothes she could grab and running some fingers through her hair, she trudged out the door.

As she made her way into the coffee shop, Mark, who was already seated at a table, rose to greet her. "Geez, Torres. You look like shit."

"Gee, thanks Mark. What a nice thing to say." Callie rolled her eyes as she made her way over to order some much needed caffeine.

After she joined him at the table, he paused for a moment to study her. "Seriously, Callie. You look like you haven't slept in days. And you have been completely missing in action for nearly 2 days. We used to talk all the time. What happened?"

Callie smiled. "Arizona happened."

Mark raised an eyebrow in question. "If this is how you look after spending time with Blondie, I'm not sure she's good for you."

Callie shook her head. "No. She's fine. She's . . ." Callie grinned like a idiot. "She's . . . amazing. She's . . . perfect."

"You sound like you've got a crush, Torres."

Callie blushed and looked down into her coffee cup. "You could say that . . ." She cleared her throat, debating how much to reveal. "We . . . uh . . . we kissed last night."

"And?"

"And it was amazing!" Callie gushed. "I've never, ever felt like this before, Mark. It scares me. But it's so good. It feels so right."

"Then why do you look like hell?"

"Because she wouldn't let me stay over. And apparently, I'm now incapable of sleeping without her."

Mark chuckled and raised his hand, gesturing for Callie to give him a high five. "Way to go, Torres! When I told you to play nice with her, I didn't mean _that _nice. Oh well, if I can't get a piece of that hot body, at least you are. Tell me. How is she in the sack? I've heard she's quite an animal."

Callie snorted in derision. "Cool your jets, Sloan. You might want to reel in the man-pig a little bit. You're coming on a little strong. First of all, we haven't slept together . . . well, we slept in the same bed together, but we haven't . . . you know. Done it. And second . . . if and when that happens, I will not be giving you the details. The last thing I want to be doing is starring in your debauched fantasies."

Mark held up his hands defensively. "Hey, hey. A man's gotta ask. Fair enough. So things are looking good?"

Callie nodded. "I think so. She wants to take things slow, which is driving me insane . . . but she's probably right. I am new at all this after all."

Mark pursed his lips in thought. "It's definitely a good sign. I've known Arizona for a while and she's usually the type that sees something she likes and just goes for it, if you know what I mean. The fact that she's holding back probably means that she's serious about you. Either that, or you need to shower more."

"Hey!" Callie protested, slapping his arm. "Not nice Sloan. Here I am, spilling my guts to you and you insult my personal hygiene."

Mark gestured towards her disheveled look. "I rest my case."

Callie narrowed her eyes as she formulated a snarky response. However, at that moment, her phone began to ring. Looking down at the caller ID, she immediately broke out into a wide grin.

Callie answered. "Hey! Missed you too . . . sure . . . that sounds great! I can do that . . . does that mean you'll be wearing one too? . . . I can't wait. See you in about an hour. Bye."

"Arizona?" Mark asked as she hung up the phone.

Callie nodded. "How did you know?"

"Oh, only the fact that you smiled big enough to light up all of the lights on the Vegas strip. Not difficult to discern. Also, you were practically making goo-goo eyes at her through the phone. Kind of pathetic."

"I am not pathetic." Callie slapped him playfully again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with someone much hotter and much more interesting than you."

"Hey! I resent that!" Mark called after her, secretly smiling. He was happy for her – she deserved some happiness.

After heading back to her hotel room to grab a few things, Callie headed back over to Arizona's house. Arizona greeted her at the door wearing nothing but a very small and very revealing bright blue bikini.

Callie struggled to retain focus. She was, however, unable to resist sweeping her eyes over the blonde's toned and gorgeous body. Her gaze, as if having a will of its own, came to rest on Arizona's breasts, which were threatening to escape from her skimpy top.

Arizona offered Callie a slight dimpled smirk as she caught the direction of the brunette's gaze. Unable to resist, she pulled Callie forward into her arms. "Hey." She whispered before capturing Callie's lips in a gentle, sensuous kiss. Pulling back, she ran a soft hand along Callie's cheek. I thought that since our first World Series of Poker event is tomorrow, we could spend the day today relaxing by my pool."

Callie who was still stunned into speechlessness, simply nodded and allowed Arizona to lead her, hands intertwined, into the house.

Arizona grinned at Callie's silence. "Why don't you head into the bathroom and change and I'll grab us some drinks. Meet me out back by the pool."

"You have a pool?" Callie finally responded.

"Uh, yeah." Arizona laughed. "You're just getting that now, Calliope? That's why I asked you to bring a swimsuit."

"Maybe I'm just uh . . . just a little excited to see you."

"Me too, Calliope. Me too." Arizona smiled again as she made her way to the kitchen.

Just as Arizona set their drinks beside the lounge chairs on the pool deck, Callie emerged from inside. It was Arizona's turned to be stunned. Her mouth, unable to process commands from her brain, dropped open in abject awe. Callie was dressed in a bright red bikini that left _very_ little to the imagination. Arizona silently wondered if it were even worth it to be wearing it at all. She could see every luscious curve of the woman's hot body. Arizona knew, in that moment, that without a doubt this day was going to test her willpower beyond belief. How in the hell was she supposed to take things slow with Callie dressed like that?

It was going to be a long, long day. Somehow, neither woman really thought the pool would do anything to cool them off . . .


	9. Chapter 9

Title: All Bets Are Off 9/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

As Callie moved towards Arizona, she laughed, noticing the stupefied expression on the blonde's face and the unmistakable direction her gaze had taken – just south of where it should be – on her face. "See something you like?"

"Uh, yeah!" Arizona admitted, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You, Calliope Torres, are hot . . . like. . ." Arizona swallowed hard. "Like really, really hot."

"Well, that's good . . . that you find me hot. It would be rather awkward if I was the only one checking out a hot girl in a bikini right now." Callie smirked, enjoying their light flirtatious banter.

Arizona smiled and patted the lounge chair. "Come over here and help me put on some sunblock. I'm so pale that I'll be beet-red in no time if I don't put some on."

Callie's heart started thudding in her chest at the thought of running her hands over every inch of Arizona's amazing body. "Uh . . . sure."

She joined Arizona, who had rolled over onto her stomach on one of the chairs, so as to give Callie access to her back. Callie picked up the bottle of lotion and struggled to steady her breathing, which was becoming difficult just at the thought of the task ahead.

She started with what she perceived to be the easy part, taking a small amount of lotion and rubbing it into the backs of Arizona's toned calves. The sensation of skin-on-skin, with the added lubrication of the lotion, was not something she had been prepared for. As she rubbed her hands slowly, methodically over every inch of Arizona's legs, slowly working higher, Callie became more and more undone. It didn't help that Arizona's suit left little to the imagination, requiring Callie to work lotion almost up to the point where her fine, fine rear met her legs.

Arizona closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of Callie's hands on her skin. This had not been a good idea, not at all. Apparently, she was a glutton for torture. She had sworn to herself that she would behave, that she'd pace things slowly. "Slow" was quickly becoming her least favorite word in the English language. Despite her efforts to control herself, she couldn't help but continue to put herself into situations where her resolve was continually tested. She'd known she'd be playing with fire by inviting Callie over to hang out in a bikini. She should have done something like taken her skiing, where they had to be covered from head to toe in clothing. But no - she had no sense, so she'd invited her over to flaunt her gorgeous curves all day. And on top of that, she'd asked the woman to rub her all over with those sensual, strong hands. She was an idiot . . . but she was loving it . . . oh God, Callie's hands were getting very near where she wanted them, just below the edge of her suit.

Callie took another ragged breath, straddled Arizona, retrieved some more lotion, and began working it into Arizona's back and shoulders. The feel of her taut muscles and her sun-warmed skin was like nothing else. Her hands were all tingly as she kneaded the lotion into Arizona's back, running up her sides, just slightly grazing the sides of her breasts. Callie tried ignore the fact that her center, which was completely on fire, was firmly planted onto Arizona's behind. Unable to resist teasing herself just a little, she shifted occasionally, providing just a tiny bit of friction.

Arizona tried to focus on anything but the gorgeous woman sitting atop her, massaging her, straddling her, not-so-subtly gyrating against her. She struggled, trying to conjure up as many unsexy images as she could. Jabba the Hut. Fail. Janet Reno. Fail. Margaret Thatcher. Fail. Carrot Top. Fail. Her pervy science teacher from high school. Fail. Callie's hands cut through all of her imagery and she had no defense. Enjoying the sensation, Arizona let out a quiet, breathy moan of pleasure. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Callie couldn't take it anymore and leaned down to place series of wet kisses along Arizona's neck and shoulders, her warm breath teasing Arizona, the subtle, sweet suggestion of what they could have, if she'd just give in.

Needing to break the tension for just a moment at least, Arizona flipped over. However, staring up into those beautiful brown eyes, which were darkened with unfettered lust, did nothing to break said tension. Unable to resist torturing herself more, Arizona smiled and reached for the lotion bottle. Sitting up, with Callie still astride her, she grabbed some lotion before handing it to Callie. She began rubbing lotion all over Callie's chest and arms, paying perhaps too much attention to the area directly above her bikini top, fingers teasing, grazing the cloth border, dipping below the material for milliseconds before returning to appropriate areas.

Callie breath was coming in uneven spurts as she followed Arizona's lead, using the lotion as an excuse to touch just about every inch of Arizona's exposed skin. Running a hand across Arizona's flat, smooth stomach, it took all of her willpower not to move in a more southerly direction. She teased along the line of Arizona's bikini bottom, the blonde's eyes making perfectly clear where she'd rather have those hands.

Arizona sat up slightly and reached around to rub sunblock into as much of Callie's back as she could reach – effectively hugging Callie tight against her in the process. Callie's hands stopped, unable to focus on anything but the feel of Arizona's breasts crushed against hers, the feel of her hands roaming across her shoulders. Neither woman really cared at that point whether or not Callie's back received all of the lotion coverage needed to protect her from the sun. This game had long ago progressed beyond any pretenses of sunburn protection. What both needed at that moment, was protection from a whole other kind of burn.

Knowing that they were fast approaching the point of no return, Arizona pulled back and pushed Callie away. "Okay, that was, uh . . . great. Didn't want to get a sunburn. Thanks."

Callie sighed in disappointment as Arizona's hands left her skin. "You know, it's not fair, right?"

Arizona looked at her, confused. "What's not fair?"

"I finally admit to myself, I finally admit out loud, that I want to be with a woman, and then you go and say I can't have her. You're very mean." Callie put on a fake pout, signaling that she was joking – or least half-joking.

"All in good time, Calliope. All in good time. As the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait." Arizona grinned as she sat down in the chair next to Callie's. She reached over and stroked Callie's cheek affectionately. "You are stunning, you know that, Calliope?"

"I am?"

"You are . . . breathtaking. Literally – I can't breathe when I'm around you. You are a gorgeous person inside and out. I just wish you could see it. It hurts my heart to see your lack of confidence." Arizona leaned over again and gave her a gentle kiss, attempting to convey her sincerity.

"It's hard. Deep down, I know that I'm pretty, that I'm smart, that I'm talented. But just the way I grew up, the people I surrounded myself with, made it hard to truly believe."

Arizona nodded, waiting for Callie to continue.

"I always went to the best schools, had the best tutors. So while I know that I wouldn't have been at the top of my class if I were stupid, I can't help but wonder if part of the reason I did so well was because I had whatever resources I needed to help make sure I succeeded. Same thing with softball - I got a college scholarship, which shows that I've got talent, but my dad always made sure I had a private coach, played on the best teams. If I hadn't had those opportunities, maybe I wouldn't have made it quite so far. I know it sounds ridiculous – to be complaining about my situation, when I was so, so lucky. But it's hard sometimes. I always wonder how I'd have done on my own, really on my own."

Arizona smiled. "I get it. I do. And that's why you need this poker thing so much – you need to prove you can do it without a safety net, without a crutch."

Callie nodded, relieved that Arizona understood. "Exactly. Which is probably why I have all these doubts – for the first time I'm really on my own – and I'm terrified that I'll fail. And then what?"

"But you'll never know unless you give it your all and you stick your neck out and try. And you're doing that, Calliope. Whether or not you end up succeeding in the sense that you become a winning player, the fact that you're here at all counts for a lot. And I have faith in you. I've seen enough would-be poker pros to know when someone's got talent – and you've got it in spades. You've just got to summon that inner confidence that's hidden by all that doubt. Trust yourself."

Callie looked up and smiled, a few tears glistening in her eyes. "How do you do it? You're always so sure of yourself . . ." She smirked. "Even when you shouldn't be."

Arizona laughed. "True. I can lean towards the other extreme – overconfidence. For me, it was definitely not something that happened overnight. I took some hard knocks when I was growing up. First, when I came out in high school. There were plenty of kids, especially at a school filled with military brats from conservative backgrounds, who loved nothing more than picking on the weird gay girl. It hurt a lot at first, but looking back now, I'm glad I went through that. It definitely got better as I got older and in the process, I learned to develop a thick skin. I learned to brush things off, to look past the insults. I figured out what I was good at and developed those skills. I figured if I was known for being something _other_ than the gay girl, people would focus on that instead. So I did every extracurricular possible, joined every club, played sports, sang in the choir. Slowly people began to respect me for those things and didn't focus so much on who I found attractive. I took some more knocks when I moved out here to Vegas – the poker world is still very much an old-boys club and they didn't look kindly on a perky, blonde, young woman invading their ranks. But again, I eventually proved that I could hold my own and earned their respect. Overcoming that kind of stuff really helped my confidence."

Callie let out a ragged sigh as a few tears escaped her lashes. "Sorry I'm getting all weepy. Probably not exactly the afternoon you had planned."

Arizona reached over and wiped the tears away. "It's perfect. You're perfect, Calliope. Don't ever apologize for being you. I want to get to know all of you – even the weepy bits."

Callie laughed a little and dabbed at her eyes with her beach towel. "I must look like an absolute mess."

"You look beautiful."

Callie shook her head.

"What? You do." Arizona reaffirmed.

"I just can't get over hearing you say that. Keep it up, I'll start believing it."

"You'd better believe it – it's true." Arizona smiled, flashing her dimples. "Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

"I guess it's just hard to believe. I dated so many guys who I later found out were only after my money. Hard to believe that you're desirable when all they see is a giant dollar sign. They didn't want me for me. Then there's my ex, Steve, who cheated on me with a slut who was all boobs and legs and then called me boring. Basically implied I was undesirable and no fun."

"He's an idiot. And his loss is my gain . . . as well as yours. You're going to grow into the super confident bad ass bombshell that you really are and he's going to be sorry he ever let you go." Arizona shifted over to Callie's chair, wrapping her arms around the brunette and gazing into her eyes. "Now, I want you to hear me, okay?"

Callie gazed back into her beautiful blue eyes and nodded.

"You. Are. Great. You. Are. Great, Calliope."

Callie smiled. "Thank you." She whispered, before capturing Arizona's lips in a sweet, slow kiss, attempting to convey the full extent of her appreciation. Her hands roved up and down Arizona's back, gently scraping her nails along the skin.

Before they could get too heated, Arizona pulled back, grinned and got up, running towards to pool. "Last one in the pool is a rotten egg!"

Callie giggled at Arizona's childishness and quickly followed suit, jumping into the pool. As she surfaced, like some sea goddess emerging from the depths, droplets of water rolling down her body like tiny kisses across her bronzed skin, Arizona was once again left stunned and dazed.

Unable to control herself any longer, Arizona swam to meet the brunette, placing a searing kiss on her lips before moving on, leaving a trail of kiss down her jawline and onto her neck and shoulder, tasting the cool water coating every inch of her luscious skin. Callie could only groan in response, pulling Arizona's body tighter against hers.

Arizona lowered her mouth, gently teasing Callie's peaked nipple through the fabric of her swimsuit top, sucking, nipping, swirling her tongue around, knowing that she was fast losing the battle to maintain control. Callie let out a stream of moans as she pulled Arizona's head closer to her chest, attempting to elicit every possible feeling and sensation from the contact.

Both women were brought abruptly out of their embrace by the sound of an unexpected voice coming from the pool deck. "Whoa! Sorry, Arizona. Uh . . . Callie. I can come back. Good to see you." Teddy blushed as she turned to leave.

"Teddy, wait!" Arizona called after her. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I tried calling you several times, but you didn't answer." She smirked. "I guess you were otherwise occupied."

Arizona narrowed her eyes in mock contempt.

"I know that you like to know when there's a big game going on. Some Texas oil billionaire with too much money and not enough brains in playing a high stakes cash game over at the Bellagio. Figured I'd stop by and see if you were interested. Saw your car out front and let myself in. I know you like to hang out by the pool when the weather's like this. Figured you didn't hear the doorbell."

Arizona smiled. "Thanks, Teddy. I think I'm going to skip out on this one. Spend the day relaxing with Calliope. We're playing in the event tomorrow, so I figure having an easy day today is a wise decision."

Teddy nodded. "Well, I'll leave you two alone to your relaxing day then." She smirked again, indicating she knew exactly what they were up to. "I'm going to go see if I can't get my own share of that guy's money." She waved and left.

Arizona thanked her lucky stars. Had Teddy not interrupted, she had no doubt in her mind she would have done something that she regretted. Still, Arizona couldn't help but silently curse her friend and her timing. Callie was right . . . she was being a tease. The problem was, Calliope wasn't the only one she was teasing.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: All Bets Are Off 10/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: For those of you who don't know much about poker, here's a quick note. They're playing in the World Series of Poker, which is a series of major poker tournaments held every summer in Las Vegas. It's basically the mack daddy of all tournaments. If you win one of these tournaments, you win a rather gaudy bracelet (plus a huge amount of money) and it's a pretty big deal in the poker world. Some of these events are even televised. It all culminates in the final "Main Event," which can make the winner and even a few of the runners up into instant millionaires.

After Teddy left, Arizona forced herself to once again put the brakes on. She hopped out of the pool and toweled herself off. Callie watched in admiration, secretly wishing that she was the towel. Heaving a sigh of regret, she left the pool and joined Arizona back at the lounge chairs.

Silently acknowledging the need to keep things innocent, both women laid out in the sun, content to laze in comfortable silence together. After a few moments, Arizona grinned slightly and reached over, capturing Callie's hand in her and bringing their joined hands to rest on her stomach. Both women savored the quiet intimacy of the moment and remained that way for quite some time, neither feeling the need to speak.

Later, as the evening drew near, the two headed inside. Arizona gave Callie a sultry once over before heading into her bedroom. She returned shortly thereafter holding a baggy pair of sweatpants and a ratty-looking t-shirt. "Here. Put these on."

Arizona handed the clothes to a confused-looking Callie, who simply nodded and headed to the bathroom to change. When she returned, Arizona had changed into similar attire. Callie spread her arms out at her sides and gestured to her outfit. "What's the point of this?"

Arizona pursed her lips as she studied the brunette. "Damn. It didn't work."

"What didn't work?"

"I was trying to take your sexiness down a notch. I was not going to be able handle seeing you all evening in that sorry excuse for a scrap of fabric masquerading as a bikini. Unfortunately, Calliope, you're bringing a whole other level of hot to those sweatpants."

Callie chuckled and reached over to capture Arizona in her arms. She placed a quick kiss on Arizona's forehead, still laughing at the blonde's perturbed look. "You're also rocking the sweatpants look hardcore, Ms. Robbins."

Arizona flashed Callie her dimples and nearly melted her right on the spot. "I have a proposition for you, Calliope."

Callie arched her eyebrow and grinned. "Oh really? And what would that be?" She loved flirting with this woman – it thrilled her to no end.

"Let's have a slumber party."

"A slumber party? What are you, 12?" Callie laughed.

"Hey! I resent that. Just because I want to hang out with you all night in our pjs and play stupid games and eat pizza and watch movies does not make me 12."

"Fine, you win. You're not 12. It does sound enticing . . . especially the playing games part." Callie lowered her hands from where they had been resting on Arizona's hips and lightly goosed her on both cheeks.

"Uh . . . no, Calliope. Number one rule of the slumber party – we have to keep things rated PG. Or at least PG-13."

"And what if I don't agree?" Callie grumbled.

"Then you can go home and sleep all alone in that big old bed by yourself." Arizona replied in a perky tone, calling Callie's bluff. "So it's up to you. Spend an awesome night with me or don't."

Of course, both women knew that there was only one correct response. "Fine. You win. This time. But I make no promises about what I consider to be PG-13." Callie captured Arizona's lips in a sweet, but sensual kiss before pulling away. "So what's first on the agenda? It is your party after all. Therefore, it's your job to entertain me."

"Oh, don't you worry, Calliope." Arizona said, flirting lightly. "I'll make sure to keep things . . . interesting for you."

They began the evening by ordering a pizza and watching a movie. After much debate, they settled on _The Princess Bride_, which was a favorite of both of theirs.

Callie had to make one more attempt to divert Arizona's attention. "You know what would make this pizza better?"

"Hmmm?"

"You, me, naked in bed with said pizza." Callie grinned and waggled her eyebrows.

"Calliope! You are killing me. I am trying . . . so, so hard . . . to take this at the right pace. And you and your hotness are not helping. And then you've got to go and put images like a naked pizza party in my head. Not cool."

"You know, there's one real easy way to solve your dilemma, Arizona . . . just give in. You and I both know you want to."

"That is true. I'm not going to deny it. However, what I want and what is best are two different things. So behave yourself and let's watch this movie."

Callie grumbled, but agreed, knowing that in the long run, the wait would be worth it. They settled onto the couch, Arizona curled up in Callie's arms. Arizona laced her fingers through Callie's, slowly drawing patterns across her hand with the pad of her thumb.

They watched in comfortable silence for some time, breaking briefly to quote lines from the movie and laugh together at some of the more ridiculous scenes. However, despite the fun she was having with Arizona in this entirely un-dirty scenario, Callie grew restless. Unable to resist, she began to run her spare hand up and down Arizona's side, fingers crawling, gently teasing at the t-shirt material. Her fingers finally hit their target – the hem of Arizona's shirt, and began slowly, painstakingly, inching the material upwards.

As Callie's fingers grazed her newly exposed skin, Arizona fought with every inch of her being to remain neutral. She stared straight ahead at the TV, biting down on her lip to stifle the moan that wanted so badly to escape. She focused on her breathing, keeping it even and unaffected, hoping that Callie would stop her teasing if she didn't get a reaction.

No such luck. Callie, undeterred by Arizona's seeming lack of response continued her journey northward, slowly rubbing her palm against the blonde's flat stomach. She slowly crept upwards, gently grazing her fingers across Arizona's breasts.

Arizona couldn't take any more and slapped Callie's hand away. "Calliope. Seriously. You're like a randy teenager. Come on now."

"I can't help it if I have an extremely hot girlfriend who's playing hard to get." The minute the words were out of her mouth, Callie regretted them. There had been no talk of where their relationship, if there was one at all, stood. No labels or definitions had been discussed. "I'm sorry. That just sort of slipped out. Now you're going to think I'm some clingy, attachment-prone freak."

Arizona turned in Callie's arms to face her, grinning. "You're so cute when you're worried. I would love to be your girlfriend Calliope." She leaned in and kissed Callie with all of the pent-up joy, lust, amazement, contentment and thrill that she was feeling. Soon, their tongues were dancing in an exotic silent tango, each attempting to pour all of their emotion into the other. Arizona reached up and tangled her hands in Callie's raven locks, deepening the kiss even further. Callie began to run her hands up and under Arizona's shirt, her hands enjoying the feel of her smooth, warm back. Just as abruptly as the kiss had begun, it was over. Arizona stood and pulled Callie up off the couch with her. "And don't you worry, I won't play hard to get for too much longer. Now come on – I want to dance it out with my smoking hot girlfriend."

Callie arched a bemused eyebrow at the blonde. "Dance it out?"

"Yeah. You know, dance around like fools just for the fun of it. It's a great way to blow off some steam. You know, get rid of any pent up energy or emotions you might be feeling." Arizona smirked, hinting at the certain kind of tension that both of them were overflowing with.

They constantly fought over control of the stereo – Arizona preferring upbeat, peppy pop songs, while Callie liked songs with more of a rock edge. Both had a great time, no matter what the song was, using the pretense of dancing as a chance to steal a touch here and there, to meld their bodies together in time to the beat. In a way, it was a prelude to what was to come . . . a clothed version of what they both really pined for.

Finally, breathless and spent, they collapsed in a giggling heap on the couch. "So what's next?" Callie asked, wrapping an arm around Arizona.

"I don't know. You tell me. It's your turn to pick."

Callie gave her a knowing smile.

"Not that, Calliope. Plus, it's late and we've got a big tournament tomorrow. Trust me, when we get there . . . and we will soon . . . I'm going to keep you up _all_ night. Come morning, you're going to wish you'd never been born you'll be so spent. So not tonight." Arizona shot her a dimpled grin.

"If you weren't so damn cute, I'd kick to the curb for your constant teasing, Arizona." Callie said as she placed a gentle peck on her lips. "You can't just go telling a girl things like that and then not follow through."

"But I did. Because I'm right and I'm awesome. Now pick what how we're going to spend the rest of the night before we get some sleep."

Callie gave Arizona a mock look of disdain before pausing to ponder her options. Then, a smile crept a across her face. "I've got it. You've got a computer, right?" Arizona nodded. "Go get it." Callie replied.

Arizona rose and retrieved her laptop from the next room. "Why do we need this?"

"I'm going to teach you to play online poker. You're always the first to knock it, but have you ever really tried it?"

Arizona offered a non-committal grumble.

Callie took the computer and quickly downloaded the necessary software. "Okay, now it's time to create an account for you. Type in the user name you want and pick a profile picture."

Arizona took the laptop, a pensive look on her face as she pondered her options. Finally, settling on her choices, she smiled and entered the necessary information. She handed the laptop back.

As Callie saw Arizona's choices, she burst out laughing. "Seriously, Arizona? You are going as 'SuperAwesomeAZ' and your picture is a puppy surrounded by butterflies?" Callie lost all control, fits of laughter overtaking her as tears streamed down her face.

"What?" Arizona asked, perplexed. "What's wrong with that?"

"Oh, nothing . . ." Callie continued to laugh. "Nothing at all . . . if you want your opponents to think they're playing against an 8-year-old."

"Well, maybe I do. It can't hurt. They won't take me seriously and then I'll _seriously_ kick their ass. Besides, I like it. Puppies are cute."

Callie shook her head and wrapped an arm around Arizona's back, snuggling her closer. "You are adorable. Okay, Miss SuperAwesome. Let's get you started."

The spent the next hour or so playing online. Callie couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun . . . all night really, not just the poker. It was a refreshing change, she had to admit, to be the teacher for once. Arizona wasn't very patient and struggled to get the hang of the software.

"Why won't this thingy work when I click on it!" Arizona grumbled. Callie laughed and patiently showed her the right way to play. Eventually she caught on. By the end of their session, she'd managed to win a small amount of money. Though she didn't want to admit it, Arizona had had fun. However, she wasn't sure how much of that was from the poker and how much was from the fact that she was cuddled up to Calliope.

"So?" Callie asked as they closed the laptop. "What do you think about online poker now?"

"It's alright I suppose. I still like live poker better. Maybe it's because I like to toy with my prey before I devour them. That's hard to do when you can't see your opponent."

Callie arched an eyebrow. "Is that what you're doing with me? Toying with your prey?"

Arizona chuckled. "Maybe a little."

"You are pure evil, Arizona Robbins. Sexy, hot, amazing evil, but evil nonetheless."

"You know you love it." Arizona grinned. They fell into an awkward silence as their night came to its natural end. Arizona fidgeted a bit, before speaking. "I know I kind of hinted at this earlier with the whole slumber party thing, but would you like to stay over? Just to sleep. It's embarrassing to admit, but I'm having trouble sleeping without you."

Callie shot her a mega-watt smile. "Yes, I'd love to. I didn't get any sleep last night." She chuckled. "We're going crazy, aren't we?"

"The only thing I know for sure, Calliope, is that I'm crazy about _you_."

"Ditto." Callie replied as she grabbed Arizona's hand. The blonde led them to the bedroom and they slept soundly and happily in each other's arms.

The next morning, the two women readied for the tournament. They stopped by Callie's hotel room so that she could change into fresh clothes before heading over to the casino. She emerged from her closet wearing an outfit very similar to the one that Arizona had picked out for her a few days prior.

Arizona shook her head and smiled. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, Calliope. You look hot. Damn. I hope you're not at my table today because I have no doubt that you'll prove to be an incredible distraction. An incredibly sexy distraction, but a distraction all the same."

They drove in companionable silence over to the tournament site, hands intertwined. Arizona sighed contentedly. "I could get used to this." She said as she stroked a thumb over the back of Callie's hand.

"Me too, Arizona. Me too." Callie shot her a quick smile before returning her focus to the road.

They entered the casino and registered for this, their first event of the World Series of Poker. They had opted to start with a smaller, less-publicized tournament – the $1,000 Ladies' No-Limit Hold'em event. Their $1000 entry gave them the chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars and the coveted World Series bracelet if they outlasted the other thousand or so women.

After receiving their respective table assignments, Arizona pulled Callie in for a brief good luck hug, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "Good luck, Calliope. Not that you'll need it."

"You too, _sweetie_." Callie smirked, unable to resist calling Arizona by the nickname that had so irked her a few days prior. Arizona faked a scowl and headed to find her table.

As Callie entered the tournament room, her heart began to pound erratically in her chest. The room was huge, with hundreds of poker tables as far as the eye could see. She took a few deep breaths and repeated Arizona's encouraging words through her head. She was great. She was awesome. She was a rock star.

Callie's confidence grew throughout the day as more and more players fell, but she remained. Arizona, off at a different table was also doing well. Callie met up with her girlfriend . . . god, that thought sent thrills running through her . . . at a break.

Arizona linked her hands with Callie's and swung their arms playfully back and forth. "So? How are you doing, my little rock star?" She smiled, revealing her gorgeous dimples in the process.

Callie struggled to focus on what the blonde was saying. "Pretty good. I think I've got a little more than the average amount of chips. I'm holding my own. How about you, beautiful?" She smiled and shot Arizona a flirty glance.

Arizona smirked and tried to keep her thoughts off of Callie's sexy leather poker diva get-up. Somehow, she didn't think it would be appropriate if she ravaged her girlfriend in front of so many bystanders. "I'm kicking ass – as is expected."

Callie laughed. "You're never one to lack confidence, are you?"

Arizona, enjoying their game, smirked again and shook her head. "Nope."

As the break ended and they returned to their tables, Callie took another moment to survey her surroundings. There were several tournaments going on, including one which they were filming for TV. The hustle, the bustle, the excitement, the thrill. She took a deep breath and smiled. She was loving it. She was meant to be here. She was meant to be here to play poker. She was meant to be here with Arizona. This was her destiny. She just knew it. The doubts were suddenly gone.

The tournament played on for hours. Eventually, they made an announcement that the final person before the money had been knocked out. This meant that all the players remaining would earn some sort of prize money. Those who didn't last much longer would only double their $1000 entry fee. The winner would win a mid to high 6-figure payday. Amongst those left were both Callie and Arizona. Callie grinned at the news. She'd made it. She'd lasted until the money in her first World Series event. She was ecstatic.

Unfortunately for Callie, luck was not on her side that day. She'd put all of her chips in on a pair of Aces before any of the community cards had been played. One other player called her with a pair of 9s. She was a huge favorite to win the hand. However, the dealer flipped over another 9, giving her opponent three nines, beating Callie's hand. She had been knocked out in 23rd place, earning about $5,500. Callie was disappointed, but noticeably missing was her typical self-doubt. Something had clicked. She was going to make it. Sure she'd loss, but she'd played well. Poker in the long run was a game of skill, with the better player coming out ahead. However, in the short run, luck could ruin any player's day, even the best player in the world. Callie was beyond elated. Confident in herself for the first time in ages, she made her way over to watch Arizona play.

Arizona was on fire, running over everyone at her table. Luck was definitely on her side that day, hand after hand coming out in her favor. She had amassed a huge sum of chips, which made it even easier for her to prey on her opponents, using her chip advantage to push them around. Callie watched in awe from the sidelines as Arizona slowly whittled down the field, felling opponent after opponent. She was amazing . . . breathtaking . . . magnificent. And she was all Callie's. The thought caused a goofy smile to play across the brunette's face.

After a 30 minute heads-up battle against her final opponent, Arizona knocked her out, her pair of 8s besting the other woman's pair of 4s. Arizona had done it. She'd won her third World Series bracelet. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for Callie. Finally, her gaze settled on a pair of gorgeous brown eyes, pride and happiness reflected back at her. Arizona broke out into a wide, dimpled grin before a bystander pulled her away for an autograph.

Callie hung back as Arizona fielded multiple interviews and congratulatory comments from other players. Finally, the hub-bub dying down, Arizona made her way over to her waiting girlfriend.

"You were amazing, Arizona. You were spectacular to watch . . . and not _just_ because you're hot. Congratulations! I can't believe you just won a bracelet!" Callie wrapped Arizona into a warm hug. "You must be exhausted."

Arizona shook her head. "Not really."

"What do you want to do then?"

"Take you home and celebrate." As she said that, Arizona quickly and surreptitiously grabbed Callie's backside, leaving no doubt as to the meaning of her words."

"I thought you'd never ask." Callie said breathlessly, grabbing Arizona and practically dragging her towards the car.

**A/N: I know what you're saying – enough with the teasing! Trust me. It's coming . . . soon. Just be patient. :-) Also, as a quick warning – I know I've been posting nearly every day. I'm going to do my best to write the next chapter tonight and tomorrow during the day, because I have a feeling I may be a little distracted/possibly upset by tomorrow's episode. I will do my best to post tomorrow, but can't make any promises since it's Grey's Day and it may get ugly for our girls.**


	11. Chapter 11

Title: All Bets Are Off 11/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: Note the rating change.

A/N2: Here's my gift to you – I think we'll need some fluff to get us through this mini-hiatus. I'm not one to really beg for feedback (okay, sometimes I am), but I'm going to need something to keep me sane through the next few weeks. Please humor me and comment! Something's gotta keep me from going crazy! Comments=love.

As they drove in silence back to Arizona's house, Callie began running her hand slowly up Arizona's thigh. Arizona did her best to ignore her attentions, not wanting to get too heated, too quickly. She nearly lost it, however, when Callie's hand left its place atop her thigh and made its way to the inside of her leg, millimeters from where Arizona wanted her most. Callie lightly scraped her fingernails across the fabric of the blonde's jeans, tickling, teasing her nerve endings, which were ablaze.

Arizona bit her lip in frustration and stared out the window, attempting to maintain some semblance of control. When she couldn't take it any longer, she took matters into her own hands, so to speak. She reached down and grabbed Callie's misbehaving hand, lacing their fingers together. She brought their joined hands up to her lips and placed a kiss on the back of Callie's hand. "Later, Calliope. Be patient. I promise you, it will be worth the wait. I've got all sorts of ideas of just exactly what to do with you and trust me, they'll be a lot better than some hurried, cramped car sex."

Callie let out a slightly exasperated sigh. "I suppose I can wait . . . so long as you promise me it's coming . . . soon."

Arizona leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I promise that _it_ . . . and you . . . will be coming soon . . . and that you won't be able to walk straight in the morning."

Callie's mouth dropped open in shock. "Arizona! You're telling me to behave myself and then you go and talk dirty like that! Not cool!"

They both laughed together, silently thinking about the events to come.

After pulling into Arizona's driveway, they both practically vaulted from the car. Callie was upon Arizona in a second, pressing her body into the side of the car, lips attacking every inch of exposed skin, hands running up and down her sides, groping, prodding, teasing.

Arizona pulled back slightly. "Inside, Calliope," she rasped. "Don't want to give the neighbors a show."

Callie nodded and grabbed Arizona's hand, dragging her to the front door. Callie continued her ministrations, snaking her arms around Arizona's waist from behind as the blonde rummaged through her purse for her keys. Callie placed slow, wet kisses along Arizona's neck, eliciting a frustrated groan from her girlfriend.

"Arizona." Callie husked. "If you don't find those damn keys . . ."

"It might be easier if I weren't being distracted by some really impatient . . . really hot . . . girl." She continued to rifle through her purse, silently cursing herself for keeping so much crap inside. Finally, she held up the offending keys in triumph. "Found them!"

The second they were inside the door, Arizona dropped her things in a haphazard pile and pressed Callie into the door. "My turn," she whispered, as she began tracing a wet path with her lips along Callie's face and neck, pulling aside her shirt slightly to nip and tease at her collarbone." Callie responded in the only way she was capable of – wrapping her arms around the blonde and pulling her even closer. Callie gasped as Arizona shoved her thigh in between Callie's, pressing it against her heated center. But just as quickly as she had begun, she was gone.

"Arizona!" Callie called after her as Arizona walked into the next room. "Enough! I need you. NOW!"

Arizona turned back and smirked, her dimples teasing at Callie's shredded composure. "Soon enough, Calliope. We're taking this slow."

"Arizona Robbins! If you use that word – slow, one more time. I'm gonna . . . I'm gonna . . ."

Arizona arched her eyebrow in amusement. "You're gonna what, Calliope?"

Callie was at a loss for words.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Now follow me. I didn't say that we weren't going to have some fun tonight. We're just going to do it my way Now just trust me. It will be worth the wait." She grinned and continued walking.

Callie, frustrated beyond belief, had no choice but to follow her. Even if Arizona decided to pull away again, to continue this torture, she'd follow anyway. She'd follow her anywhere. The pull this woman had over her was frightening, as well as exciting. She followed Arizona into a room she hadn't seen before. Inside was a poker room, decked out with its own poker table.

"Arizona. You can't seriously want to play more poker. We've been playing all day. No more – I need a break from poker."

Arizona chuckled. "Oh trust me, Calliope. You're going to want to play with me when you find out the stakes."

Callie gave her a questioning look. "Care to elaborate?"

"We're playing strip poker."

As those words left her girlfriend's mouth, Callie nearly lost it. Her mouth went suddenly dry and her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. A jolt of excitement shot straight down to her core and she was suddenly on fire, unable to see or think straight. How she was going to focus on winning this game, she didn't know. But she damn well was going to try.

Arizona sat down at the table and began expertly shuffling a deck of cards. "Okay, Calliope, here are the rules. We're going to play 5-card draw. You can fold your hand right away with no penalty. However, once the betting begins, your clothes are like poker chips. You can bet an article of clothing. You lose the hand, you lose that article of clothing." Both women blushed slightly at the thought. Arizona offered Callie a flirtatious smile as she gazed into her deep brown eyes, which were sparkling with excitement and lust. "Now, let's count our articles of clothing – we don't want one of us having an unfair advantage" She smirked. "Not that it'll matter . . . I'm going to have you naked in no time."

Callie ignored the butterflies, or what really felt more like rather large birds, fluttering in her stomach. "Oh, really? We'll just have to see about that, won't we? If I recall, the last time you played against me, you lost – bad." She grinned, loving their flirty exchange.

They quickly evened out their attire so that they both started with the same number of "poker chips" or articles of clothing. Arizona dealt them each five cards, face down.

Looking down at her cards, Callie pondered her options. "I bet one item of clothing."

Arizona smiled and taunted her. "Sure you want to do that, Calliope? Okay, then, I'll match your bet and raise you another."

Callie quickly agreed. Both women drew a few cards and engaged in nonverbal communication – trying to intimidate each other with looks alone. Finally, Callie made her move. "I bet one more."

"I call." Arizona said without hesitation as she turned over her hand. She had two pair – a pair of kings and a pair of threes, which clearly beat Callie's pair of 8s.

Callie grumbled and thought about her options. After a moment she removed both shoes, as well as her jacket.

"See. I told you I'd be getting your pretty little behind naked in no time, Calliope." Arizona loved teasing her, knowing that in the end, all this build up would make things even more epic than otherwise would have been the case.

Callie narrowed her eyes. "You'd better watch it, Arizona, or I might just take my pretty little behind home and just celebrate your win all by myself."

Arizona laughed at Callie's obviously empty threat. "Just deal the cards, Calliope. The sooner you lose this hand, the sooner I can see some skin."

Callie rolled her eyes and dealt the cards. Arizona fidgeted a bit and rearranged her cards. "I bet two articles of clothing."

Callie, pleased with her cards, smirked. "Confident, aren't we? Fine. I raise you two more." Arizona called Callie's bet

The two women drew some cards and Arizona stared Callie down, attempting to gauge the strength of her hand. Finally, she announced her bet. "Two more."

Callie looked down at her cards again and took a moment to think. She had a pretty strong hand – a winner she thought. But if she lost right now, she'd be losing 6 more pieces of clothing. Hell . . . it would be worth it in the long run, no matter the outcome. "I call." She turned over her cards and heard Arizona curse. Callie's three 7s beat Arizona's two pair.

Callie smirked. "You lost, you strip."

Arizona reached down and took off her shoes, a pair of obnoxiously bright pink Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers. Callie began to snicker.

"What?"

"Just you and those shoes. Really Arizona? They're bright pink. They're ridiculous." Callie continued to laugh.

"So? They're awesome. Just like me. Do not mock my Chucks."

Callie put up her hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine. You and your hideous shoes are awesome. Now stop stalling and lose the clothes."

Arizona removed both socks, her jacket, and after pondering for a moment, her pants. She figured that her pants were less of a loss than her top, since she was covered from the waist down by the table. She shuffled the cards and re-dealt them.

They played out the hand, which resulted in Callie losing only three articles of clothing – both socks and her shirt. Arizona swallowed hard as she watched her girlfriend deal the next hand. Her breasts, skin a perfect shade of caramel, just threatening, teasing to spill out over the top her red lacy bra. At that moment, she had no doubt that Callie had chosen to remove her shirt instead of her pants entirely on purpose – to distract her. And damn it, it was working.

It was time for some deceptive measures. Time to put all of her talents to work, so to speak. After surveying her cards, Arizona knew exactly what she needed to do. She checked, indicating that she didn't want to bet.

Sensing Arizona's weakness, Callie bet one item of clothing. "You know, Arizona, you can still fold right now and run away. Of course, that would make you the loser . . . but maybe better than the loser of more clothing."

Arizona smiled and simply matched Callie's bet. After their draw of cards, Arizona again checked, figuring that Callie wouldn't be able to resist betting. She was right. Callie bet another article of clothing.

"I'm all in." Arizona announced quickly. "I bet everything I've got."

Callie debated her options for a moment. She didn't have that many clothes left to lose as it was . . . and really, was it such a bad thing to lose at this point? Arizona's repeated and unmistakably lust-filled gazes at her chest had her nerves worked up into a frenzy. Finally, deciding that maybe winning wasn't the most important thing, she agreed. "Fine. I'm all in as well."

They turned over their hands, and Arizona's hand was the winner. If asked later, neither one would have been able to remember exactly what those hands even were.

Callie rose and began to remove the last items of her clothing – her pants, bra and underwear. As she reached for the button on her jeans, Arizona laid a staying hand atop hers.

"No, Calliope. I'm the winner of these clothes and I will remove them as I see fit."

Not to be one to fight such a request, Callie removed her hand and waited for Arizona's next move. "As you wish," she added, smiling at the corny reference to the movie they'd watched the day before.

"Get on the table."

"What?" Callie asked, a little confused.

"I said, Get. On. The. Table." Arizona ordered, a little forcefully. The tone of her voice, along with the unmasked look of abject desire reflected in her bright blue eyes, sent shivers running through Callie. She nodded and sat on the edge of the poker table.

Arizona was atop her in an instant, pushing her further back onto the table. Cards flew in every direction, as did a few stacks of neatly piled poker chips that had been sitting in the center of the table. Arizona hands quickly flew to the button of Callie's jeans, making quick work of them as she roughly slid them down and off of Callie's legs.

Callie sat up and ripped Arizona's shirt open, buttons flying everywhere.

"Hey! I liked that shirt!" Arizona protested, secretly turned on beyond words at Callie's aggressiveness.

"Sorry. Too many clothes." Callie husked, before capturing those supple, protesting lips in a soul-sucking kiss. Callie flipped them over, eager to gain the upper hand for a moment. Her tongue plunged into Arizona's awaiting mouth as they melded their bodies together, skin-on-skin, apart from a few offending pieces of undergarment. Callie began to grind her hips against Arizona, desperate for the friction that would send them both into oblivion.

Arizona raised a hand to Callie's face, forcing her to focus on her eyes. "Calliope." She whispered, the sultry tone of her voice nearly sending Callie over the edge right then and there.

"Yeah?" Callie husked back as she gazed into Arizona's deep blue eyes.

"Not so fast." Arizona smirked as she used the temporary distraction to roll them over, once more winning control. "I won. Remember. And since _you_ are my prize, I get to do with you as I please." She leaned down and began kissing her way down Callie's body, starting at her pulse point and slowly moving south.

"Hey . . ." Callie attempted to protest, but was too distracted by Arizona's teasing mouth. "I . . . never . . . agreed . . ." Her words trailed off as she lost all power of speech. Arizona's mouth had made its way to her bra-clad breasts, nipping, teasing, sucking through the material, leaving a damp spot as she moved from one nipple to the other.

Finally, Arizona reached behind her back and unclasped the garment, freeing Callie's luscious breasts. Arizona reached up and palmed one with admiration, while taking the other in her mouth. Callie let out a stream of groans as Arizona swirled the hardened nipple around her tongue, gently nipping before moving on to repeat the process with the other.

Arizona moved further down, raking her tongue slowly across Callie's stomach. She slid further down still, placing small brief kisses along the border of Callie's panties, gently grazing her teeth over the outside of the fabric.

Callie reached down and ran her hands roughly through her girlfriend's hair. "Arizona," Callie rasped. "I need you. Please."

Knowing that the teasing had gone on long enough, Arizona quickly slid off the last stitch of Callie's clothing and dipped her fingers into Callie's heated core. "My God, Calliope. You're so wet."

Callie laughed lightly. "Tell me about it. I've been in this state constantly for several days. And it's all your fault." She laughed again, but her laugh was cut short by a gasp as Arizona gently inserted two fingers into her slick tunnel. Sensing that it wouldn't take much to bring Callie to climax, Arizona quickly set a pace, driving her fingers in and out of her girlfriend. Judging by the stream of expletives coming from Callie's beautiful lips, her fingers were working their magic.

"Oh God . . . Arizona. Mmmm. Please . . . more."

Sensing Callie's need for release, Arizona bent and gently took her girlfriend's bundle of nerves between her lips, gently sucking and swirling her tongue around its edges."

That was the final straw. Callie grabbed Arizona's head as her hips bucked wildly, her muscles squeezing around the moving fingers inside her. "Arizonnnnnnaaaaa . . . fuck . . . I'm . . . cominggggggggg . . ." Arizona continued her ministrations, wanting to extend Callie's pleasure for as long as possible. As Callie came down, Arizona scooted back up the table and placed a leisurely kiss on Callie's lips.

"That was . . . that was . . . unlike anything I've ever experienced." Callie grinned, before pulling Arizona in for another kiss, tasting herself on Arizona's lips. "You are right about one thing, Arizona Robbins. You are pretty awesome. Now . . ." Callie's words trailed off as her hand fell to Arizona's breast. "Let me return the favor."

Callie rolled them over and made quick work of all of Arizona's remaining clothing, knowing that now was probably not the time for teasing . . . as much as she was tempted. Callie slowly reached down and slid her fingers into Arizona's slick folds. She grinned, eyes smiling into Arizona's. "I see I'm not the only one rather turned on by this whole affair." Arizona nodded, a little distracted by Callie's wandering fingers to properly answer.

Callie gently inserted two fingers and set a pace, pumping in and out of Arizona, eliciting gasps of pleasure from the blonde. The feel of Callie's fingers inside her was perfect . . . just right. Callie added the force of her hips to her hand, thrusting against Arizona as the blonde arched her hips off the table to meet her.

Arizona knew that it wouldn't take much to bring her climax to fruition, but also sensed that Callie was quickly heading in that direction again as well. "Calliope." She gazed into Callie's lust-darkened eyes. "I want you to come with me. I need to feel you against me."

Somehow, despite her lack of experience, Callie knew just what to do, removing her fingers and placing her center directly over Arizona's, grinding their hips together in an erotic dance. The speed of their mutual thrusts quickened as they arched against each other, eager to feel as close as possible, to feel that much needed friction. Poker chips and cards went flying every which way as the force of their coupling heightened.

"Fuck . . . Calliope . . . my God . . ." Arizona gasped, slamming into the table, knowing the end was near.

After a few more heated thrusts, Callie fell over the edge, experiencing a climax even more powerful than the one before. Her entire body shuddered as she let forth a low moan.

The feel of Callie's orgasm was enough to send Arizona's own ripping through her body, electricity jolting through her. "Ohhh . . . Calliopeeeee . . ." Arizona screamed as her climax crashed around her like stormy waves against the shore.

Attempting to elicit every last ounce of feeling, they ground against each other a few more times, reveling in the feeling of their joined bodies. However, the repeated slamming of their bodies was too much for the table, and just as the women collapsed upon each other in sated bliss, so did the table, its legs giving out from their unusual use. As one end of the table slid to the ground, so did the two women, landing in a heap of sweaty, naked limbs on the floor.

Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie and both laughed. "Well, looks like I'm going to have to replace the table. Somehow, I don't think this type of use falls under the warranty." Arizona grinned and placed a gentle kiss on Callie's temple. They lay there on the floor in contented silence, taking a moment to recover.

Callie finally broke their silence. "You know, if I'd known that all it would take to get you into bed was some gaudy gold bracelet, I'd have run out to the nearest store and bought one days ago."

Arizona chuckled. "Oh, it wasn't the bracelet. I have a feeling tonight would have happened whether or not I won that tournament. I've wanted you since the moment I first laid eyes on you. I was just trying to be respectful and responsible for once. But even I have my limits. As the old poker adage goes, 'you've gotta know when to hold'em and when to fold'em.' It was time I laid down my hand and let you win . . . so to speak. But I guess we could call this a win for both of us."

Callie smiled, placing a quick kiss on Arizona's lips, gently brushing away stray hair. "Oh definitely. I'm glad you finally decided to fold. I was beginning to think you were bluffing and that you really didn't want me. All that teasing can give a girl a complex."

"Okay, enough with the poker metaphors. I can think of much more interesting things to be doing right now." Arizona smirked as she pulled Callie up after the floor and led them to the bedroom, eager to continue what they'd started.

Callie followed her, but stopped in mid-stride, laughing.

"What?" Arizona turned to ask, perplexed at Callie's sudden humor.

"Oh nothing. It's just that you've got the Queen of Hearts stuck to your ass, Arizona."


	12. Chapter 12

Title: All Bets Are Off 12/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: Sorry I didn't post an update yesterday. Having a bit of writer's block (I blame Shonda & Co for that one). Anyway, it took me a while to get back in the groove, so to speak. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but am posting anyway.

The two spent the rest of a rather amazing night together. Good on her word, Arizona had definitely left Callie sore come morning. They spent a leisurely morning in bed, neither eager to end what they'd started. Unfortunately, obligations eventually made it necessary for them to rise from their love nest.

Callie couldn't help but grin as she stretched her aching muscles and headed to get dressed. Arizona had some media events to do surrounding her big win the day before. Callie had decided to tag along. She shook her head as she thought about it. She was following the woman around like a love sick puppy – but she didn't care. Every moment spent with Arizona was special. Yep, Callie had to admit, she had it bad.

As they walked into the casino, where Arizona would be doing interviews, she was stopped by a group of admirers. "Arizona! Can we have your autograph?"

Arizona smiled and accepted the offered pen and paper. "Sure thing! Are you guys poker players too?"

Callie stood back and watched Arizona interact with her fans, engaging them in a conversation about themselves – where they were from, how long they'd been playing poker, and other small talk. She couldn't help but smile as she observed her girlfriend. She was so easy with them, so polite and friendly, making them feel like the center of attention. It was heartwarming – a lot of people would have either brushed them off or just signed quickly and left. But not Arizona. She had such a friendly spirit about her and it made Callie melt a little. She did have to smirk briefly as she remembered how decidedly unfriendly Arizona had been at first – however, Callie was pretty sure that the Arizona before her right now was the real one. Her patience, her kindness, her constant reassurances over the past few days left Callie with little doubt that Arizona was a truly amazing woman, inside and out.

As Arizona finished with her fans, she looked around for her girlfriend. She saw Calliope standing a few feet away, eyes shining with admiration. Arizona grinned and went to join her.

"Do you ever get used that?" Callie asked, still amazed at Arizona's graciousness.

"Not really."

"You were so great with them. A lot of people would have been rude or at least not as friendly. I really admire that about you." Callie rubbed her hand gently on Arizona's shoulder.

"I don't think I have any right to be anything but kind to them. It wasn't that long ago that I _was_ them – the one looking up to the professional poker players. They're a constant reminder of where I came from. It doesn't hurt me to spend a few minutes making their day, so why not?"

They headed to the room where Arizona would be doing interviews. Again, Callie hung back, towards the rear of the room, content to just watch Arizona do her thing. Callie gazed at her in unabashed admiration. She was so beautiful, blue eyes glinting with life and excitement as she talked about the game she loved so much. She was so talented – one of the best players Callie had ever seen. She was so confident – if she doubted herself, she never let on. She was so perky – which Callie would have thought would irritate her in the long run. But it didn't – it simply raised her own spirits to be around her. She was so . . . Callie didn't know what else. But most importantly, she was hers. Arizona had chosen her. And no doubt a woman like her could have picked just about anyone. Callie smiled and continued to study her girlfriend as she silently counted her lucky stars.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" A bystander interrupted Callie's thoughts.

"Uh . . . yeah, she is." Callie smiled slightly.

"Quite the lady-killer I hear. Love 'em and leave 'em type."

"I'm not so sure about that." Callie said cautiously.

"I've heard she's got quite the collection of charms to put on that new bracelet of hers, if you know what I mean. Not that there's anything wrong with that." The woman smirked. "Maybe I'll go see if she needs a new one."

"I hear she has a girlfriend." Callie responded politely, trying to control the urge to throttle the woman.

"I guess I'll just have to show her the error of her ways." The woman walked off and Callie was silently thankful that Arizona was still surrounded by reporters – there was no way she would be able to get within 10 feet of Arizona. Which was lucky for the woman – because Callie couldn't guarantee what her reaction would be if she'd laid a hand on Arizona.

By the time Arizona's interviews were over, Callie had cooled off. The offending woman was nowhere in sight, which was probably a good thing for her sake. Arizona caught Callie's gaze from across the room and grinned. She made her way over to her, dimples on full display. "Thanks for waiting, Calliope. You really didn't have to – it must have been so boring. But I'm glad you did all the same."

Callie shrugged. "I wanted to. I enjoyed watching you . . . you know, answer the questions and stuff."

Arizona playfully swatted at Callie's arm. "Oh, you did, did you? You're sure you weren't just checking me out?"

"So what if I was?"

"No problem here. I am pretty hot, after all." Arizona laughed flirtatiously.

"I'm not going to argue with that." Callie grinned and placed a quick peck on Arizona's cheek.

"You're not so bad yourself. Which doesn't make it easy to answer all those dumb questions from the reporters. Knowing that you were in the back making sexy eyes at me did not help my concentration."

"I was not." Callie protested, perhaps a little too vehemently.

"Sure, whatever you say, Calliope. Let's get out of here. Some of my friends are meeting up at a bar at the Bellagio for some celebratory drinks."

"Sounds good." Callie nodded and followed Arizona from the room.

They made their way into the loud, crowded bar and scanned the room for familiar faces. Huddled over to one side was a group of Arizona's friends. Callie was relieved to see that Mark was also there – at least she wouldn't be completely surrounded by strangers. As they made their way over, Callie also saw Teddy, as well as Derek, the pro who had bested her a few days before. Her heart sank a little, feeling embarrassed about the way the game had ended.

When they approached the group, Arizona introduced Callie to the others, including some professionals that Callie had read about – Alex Karev, Cristina Yang, Miranda Bailey, and Owen Hunt. Callie made her rounds, shaking everyone's hand and eventually greeted Derek.

Derek smiled. "Callie, it's nice to meet you formally. You've got some real potential – you didn't go down without a fight the other day. Glad to see you're sticking around – and that you've got a great player like Arizona to show you the ropes."

Callie blushed slightly, but was comforted by his friendly demeanor. The doubt that had momentarily crept in was gone in an instant. Callie's thoughts quickly strayed to other, less appropriate areas, as Arizona laid a hand on her shoulder from behind and brought her lips to Callie's ear.

"I'm going to go grab us some drinks. Rum and coke for you?" Arizona's whispered breath teased Callie's skin, taking her mind off on an entirely inappropriate tangent. Unable to speak, Callie simply nodded and turned to watch Arizona saunter off. God damn that woman had power over her.

"You've got it bad, Torres." Mark's voice invaded her reverie.

"Huh?" Callie turned, realizing that he was speaking to her.

"I said, you've got it bad. All you seem to do these days is stare at Blondie. And judging by the looks she's giving you right now, I'd say the feeling's mutual." Sure enough, Arizona was sending very suggestive, flirtatious looks back at Callie, who was grinning seductively back. "Torres. Are you even listening to me?" Mark asked after getting no response.

"Oh, yeah . . . sure, Mark." Callie continued making eyes at Arizona.

"You two are a piece of work, I'll tell you."

At that moment, Callie's face dropped as a beautiful red head approached Arizona. It was clear from her body language that the woman was flirting. She was flirting with _her_ girlfriend. Callie attempted to calm herself down, sure that Arizona would brush her off. Instead, Arizona smiled back at the woman, allowing the woman to lean over and briefly touch her arm as she whispered something into Arizona's ear. Whatever she'd said had made Arizona laugh. Callie balled her fists at her side and attempted to remain neutral. But the words of the bystander earlier that day rang through her mind. "She's the love'em and leave'em type." What if that were true? What if Arizona had gotten what she'd wanted, and now that she had, was ready to move on? The thought crushed her.

"Jealous isn't a good look on you, Torres." Mark interrupted her internal struggle.

"I'm not . . ." Callie began.

"Callie," Mark said, in a tone that left her no doubt that he knew she was lying.

"Fine. Maybe I'm am. It's just . . . I feel so lucky to have her and I don't want that bitch . . . or anyone else for that matter, touching my girlfriend."

Mark chuckled. "So why don't you go over there and tell her that?"

"Well, I don't know. It kind of looks like Arizona's flirting back. And I've had more than one person, including you, tell me that Arizona's not really the relationship type. What if she's bored with me already?"

"You called her your girlfriend. I assume she knows about that?"

Callie nodded.

"I've only seen Arizona in one other serious relationship. Chick named Joanne a few years back when Arizona had just moved here. That girl did a number on her. She hasn't been serious with anyone since. And trust me, she's had the opportunity to, if she'd wanted that. So I get your worry, I do. But the fact that she's willing to call you her girlfriend after such a short period of time tells me that she's serious about you. I know one thing about Arizona. She may have had her fair share of flings, but as far as I know, she was never anything less than upfront with the person she was with. She didn't call any of them her girlfriend. She's not the type to toy with you like that."

Callie swallowed hard, taking in Mark's advice. She couldn't help but still feel a little defeated. Arizona, who had made her way back over by this time, noticed Callie's change in demeanor immediately. "Hey . . . what's up? You look upset."

"Torres is a little jealous of you and Red over there." Mark gestured to the woman at the bar who was still staring at Arizona.

"That true?" Arizona lifted Callie's chin to look into her eyes. Seeing the doubt and hurt reflected back at her, Arizona placed a gentle hand on Callie's cheek. "Yes, she was flirting with me. But I very politely told her that I was taken. I'm sorry if it looked like something else. You're the only one for me, Calliope. If it really bothered you, you should have come over and said something."

Callie gave her a small smile. "I wanted to. I wanted to come over and tell her to get her fucking hands off my girlfriend."

Arizona laughed. "Why didn't you?"

"I wasn't sure I had the right to. I know we talked about our relationship in private, but I wasn't sure what we're supposed to be in public."

Arizona gave her a flirtatious look. "You want to know what we are in public?" She grinned before placing her hands on both of Callie's cheeks, pulling her in for a passionate, tongue-infused kiss. Arizona pushed her up against the nearest wall and deepened the embrace. Several of their friends hooted as Arizona ran her hands through Callie's hair, before moving down to her hips, to pull their bodies even closer. Finally, out of breath and panting, Arizona pulled back, a twinkle in her eye. "That give you a good idea?"

Callie nodded.

Arizona leaned in, placing a seductive kiss just below Callie's ear. "Plus, you . . . jealous . . . so hot." Arizona whispered, before surreptitiously grabbing Callie's ass. "What do you say we get out of here?"

Callie swallowed hard and nodded, still stunned speechless.

Arizona grabbed her hand and turned to address their friends. "Sorry guys, but Calliope and I have some business to attend to. We'll see you around." With that, ignoring the knowing smirks coming from their group, Arizona led Callie from the bar and back to Callie's hotel room, which was closer than Arizona's house. And they needed to be alone - fast.

The minute they were through the door of Callie's suite, they were a tangle of arms and legs, clothing flying in every direction. Arizona pushed Callie backwards towards the bed, laughing as they tripped over her pants, which had somehow ended up around her ankles. In no mood for slow, they tore at each other until both were completely naked and writhing against each other on the bed.

Wasting no time, Arizona covered Callie's body with her own, both reveling in the feel of their bodies together, rubbing, teasing, sending shockwaves straight to their cores. Arizona reached down a slid her fingers into Callie's center, gently tracing and teasing around the outside before entering her. Callie, anxious to provide a similar experience for her girlfriend, mimicked Arizona's actions. They began to pump in tandem, matching each other's tempo. As both neared what would be the first of many climaxes that night, they began to thrust their hips against each other, a music-less seductive tango all their own. Sensing that Callie was close to completion, Arizona added her thumb, flicking it over Callie's engorged bundle of nerves, which elicited a stream of deep moans from the brunette. Callie's body began to shudder with the first waves of her orgasm.

"Ohhhh . . . my . . . Godddd . . . " The sound of Callie's beautiful voice, ringing out in ecstasy was enough to send Arizona over the edge.

"Fuuucck . . . Please . . . . Calliope . . . Don't . . . ever . . . stop . . . fucking me." Arizona's body was wracked with wave after wave of pleasure as her walls clamped around Callie's still pumping fingers.

They collapsed in a sweaty heap. Callie pulled Arizona in for a deep, passionate kiss. She pulled away and grinned at her girlfriend.

"What?" Arizona asked.

"Nothing. It's just . . . you're so fucking hot when you swear."


	13. Chapter 13

Title: All Bets Are Off 13/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

The next morning, Arizona smiled as she awoke - naked, limbs intertwined with Callie's. She took in a deep breath, inhaling her girlfriend's seductive, unique scent, and savored the quiet intimacy. Taking a few moments to watch the beautiful woman in her arms sleep, she couldn't help but grin like an idiot. She was quite sure that this was about as close to heaven as she was going to get.

Slowly, Callie stirred, turning her body closer into Arizona's, as her sleep-glazed eyes fluttered open. "Morning," she muttered, still half-asleep.

"Morning, beautiful." Arizona smiled, gently kissing Callie and stroking a thumb over her cheek.

"Were you watching me sleep?"

"Maybe just a little. Couldn't help it. You're gorgeous when you sleep."

Callie rolled her eyes. "You're getting all corny, Arizona." She loved teasing her girlfriend.

"So what if I am? I can't help it if I have the hottest girlfriend in the world." With that, she recaptured Callie's lips, quickly deepening the embrace, making the direction of her thoughts immediately known. She rolled them over slightly, so that her body was atop Callie's, never losing contact with her lips. Their tongues slid together, savoring the sensation, the taste of each other as they slowly rocked against one another. Arizona reached down and gently kneaded Callie's breast in her hand. Callie let out a low moan and brought her thigh up between Arizona's legs, pressing it against her already heated center. Just as things were starting to take off, their interlude was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Ignore it." Callie said in between kisses. "Probably just housekeeping."

Arizona did just that, focused on nothing but the woman writhing underneath her. However, another knock sounded, invading their embrace. Arizona pulled back. "I'm not sure we put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign out last night, you know in all our haste." She shot Callie a dimpled grin as they both remembered their previous night's activities. "If I don't get it, the maid is probably going to come in here and get the shock of her life." Callie groaned as Arizona rolled off her and grabbed a robe, heading to the door.

Arizona opened the door, expecting to see the hotel's housekeeping staff. Instead, a distinguished older Hispanic man stood before her. "Uh . . . hello." Arizona responded after getting over the surprise.

"Hello. I must be mistaken. I thought my daughter . . ." The man began, clearly confused at seeing the blonde woman before him.

He was cut off, however, by Callie. She came walking into the room wearing nothing but a towel. "Arizona. What's taking you so long? You've been a very dirty girl and I think you need a shower . . ." The playful smirk that had been on Callie's face dropped away in shock as she saw the man standing in the door way.

"Uh . . . hi Daddy," Callie managed to squeak out.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Carlos Torres asked, seemingly unperturbed by Callie's decidedly inappropriate choice of words.

Arizona's heart started beating uncontrollably fast. Callie's father. He was here. And that couldn't be good. What really unnerved her, however, was the fact that he seemed so calm. She could see through his façade – he was definitely upset – but clearly was waiting for a better time to make his feelings known.

"This is . . . uh . . . this my uh . . . my friend, Arizona Robbins," Callie stuttered, still at a loss for words.

The words cut through Arizona like a knife. She was Callie's "friend." Her heart sank. How could she have been so stupid? Callie was a newborn, of course – she wasn't ready for this whole relationship with a woman thing. Arizona silently scolded herself. How had she let herself get so involved, so attached? Composing herself, she put on her best poker face and stuck her hand out. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Torres." She said it perhaps a little too perkily. He awkwardly accepted her hand, shaking it briefly before releasing it like it was something dirty and disgusting. "Now if you two will excuse me, I'm just going to get my things and head out. I've got some place to be." With that, Arizona practically ran to the bedroom, throwing her clothes on, eager to make an exit before she fell apart.

As Callie watched Arizona head from the room, she felt immediate guilt. In the shock of the moment, she'd panicked. She'd called Arizona her "friend." She was an idiot. But despite her best efforts to the contrary, she still cowered in her father's presence. He wasn't a mean or a harsh man, but he was always so in control, so silently judgmental, so powerful. It was hard not to be intimidated. And she'd always fallen in line, been his perfect little daddy's girl until just recently. "Uh, Dad. I'm going to go get dressed. Then maybe we can talk? Can I meet you at the coffee shop downstairs in 10 minutes?"

He nodded. "Thank you, Calliope. Yes, that's fine. We have a lot to discuss it seems."

Callie swallowed nervously and headed back to the bedroom, needing to catch Arizona before she left.

Arizona was already dressed and putting on her shoes. The stricken look on her face left Callie with little doubt as to how she was feeling.

"I'm sorry, Arizona. I didn't mean for things to come out the way they did. I panicked."

Arizona shook her head. "It's okay, Calliope. I understand. It's hard for you – and this is new. And maybe it's not what you want. I'm going to head out and give you some time with your dad, some time to figure things out. I'm okay, really." Of course, she was anything but okay, but she wasn't about to let on. She gathered her stuff and headed from the room.

Callie collapsed on the bed. The wave of conflicting emotions crashed over her, almost overwhelming her. She'd never been happier than she'd been since she met Arizona. She also loved the poker. She was good at it . . . and she knew deep down that she'd keep getting better. But she was also scared. She'd never disappointed her father in her whole life, but it seemed that streak might have just come to an end. After taking a moment to collect herself, she dressed and headed to meet him. She took a deep breath as she entered the coffee shop, bracing herself for the inevitable lecture to come.

Sliding into the seat opposite him, she stared down at her hands, unable to make eye contact. She remained silent, waiting for him to speak.

"What's going on with you, Calliope?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. Why are you here, Daddy? And how did you find me?"

"It seems you've been playing poker. A colleague saw you on TV the other day and brought it to my attention."

Callie's heart sank. Those TV cameras, the ones that had been filming the day of the Ladies' Event, must have taped her.

Her father continued. "Gambling, Calliope? You know that's a sin. I raised you better than that. I know that you took your breakup with Steve hard, but really? Gambling. I have to say I'm disappointed in you. You said you needed your space, and I gave that to you. But I think we both know it's time you came home."

Callie struggled with the warring emotions inside her. She'd felt so free since coming to Las Vegas. It was a brand new start, a brand new her. But the old Callie, the one she'd buried deep inside, was still eager to please her father.

"I'm not so sure, Daddy . . . " Callie began, but was cut off by her father.

"And this friend of yours, Arizona, was that her name? What kind of name is that? It sounds like a stage name for an exotic dancer. She's not a dancer is she?"

Callie shook her head, forcing herself to suppress the slight laugh that threatened to bubble up at her father's concern over Arizona's name. "No. She plays poker."

"Are you sure she's a good influence on you?" Her father didn't mention the nature of her relationship, but there was no doubting his meaning.

Callie thought about her response for a minute, chewing her lip in contemplation as she fidgeted uncomfortably. She debated how much to tell him, again, her fear of disappointing him rearing its ugly head. However, it was obvious that he suspected something was going on between them, so was there really any point in remaining in denial?

She let out a deep breath before proceeding. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, Daddy." Callie finally looked up and gazed directly into his eyes, letting him know how much she meant it.

"I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that, Calliope. Please enlighten me." He gave her his best staredown, the look that sent many running for the hills.

Undeterred by his stare, she continued. "Arizona and I have been dating. And she makes me incredibly happy. She makes me a better person. She's amazing. For the first time in my life, I feel like myself. I feel like I'm where I belong. And I love playing poker. I'm good at it – and I'm just going to get better. This new life I'm slowly crafting for myself here – it feels right." She paused, anxious and scared at the same time to hear his response.

"When they nicknamed this place 'Sin City,' they weren't kidding. First the gambling, and now this woman. It's an abomination. Your mother and I raised you better than that. Calliope, I'm disappointed in you. You've let yourself become misguided, you've lost your way. I think we both know that it's time for you to come home to Miami. You've had your fun. It's time you settled down with a good man and started a family."

"No." Callie replied, hoping her face didn't betray the turmoil and uncertainty she was feeling.

"No? You've never disobeyed me before, Calliope. To say I'm concerned would be an understatement."

"I'm sorry, Daddy, but I'm happy here." Callie struggled to keep her composure, not sure how much more she could take. She was standing her ground, but she knew if he kept pushing, her willpower might break.

"Calliope, you leave me with no other choice. Either you fly home with me today or I'm going to be forced to remove my support for you and this alternative lifestyle of yours. You'll be on your own. Please don't do this. I love you and want nothing but the best for you."

"Then don't give me ultimatums." Callie replied, hoping to somehow force him to back down.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. So which is it going to be, Calliope?" He stared deep into her eyes, letting her know he was deadly serious.

Callie closed her eyes, struggling to maintain control. Her inner turmoil was wreaking havoc on her. She had been so happy. Free. Confident. In control of her life for the first time. Proving to herself that she could make it on her own. But could she really? She'd always had her father there as a safety net. Was she strong enough to truly make it on her own? Of course, she wouldn't be on her own. She'd have Arizona. She'd have her friends. But what if she and Arizona didn't make it? Then she'd have no girlfriend _and_ no family. But family was supposed to accept her for who she was. She was so confused.

"Well, Calliope?" Her father interrupted her reverie. She took a deep breath. There was really only one thing to do. She took a deep breath and began . . .


	14. Chapter 14

Title: All Bets Are Off 14/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: This somehow turned into a pretty Callie-centric chapter. Sorry for the AZ fans out there, though she's definitely still here and will be back with full coverage next chapter.

"Well, Calliope?" Her father interrupted her reverie. She took a deep breath. There was really only one thing to do. She took a deep breath and began.

Callie looked straight into her father's eyes, hoping to emphasize not only the power of her conviction, but also the immense hurt he was causing her. "I really hope that you'll reconsider, Daddy, but if I'm forced to choose, there's only one choice for me to make."

Her father leaned back in his chair, with a slightly self-satisfied smirk on his face, indicating that he knew exactly what she'd choose – to give in as she always did. His overconfidence spurred her on, giving her more courage to continue.

"I choose to stay here. On my own. In Vegas. With Arizona."

A look of shock washed over her father's face. It hurt her to know that she was disappointing him – she'd be raised to fear such disappointment, to try her hardest to make him proud. But she knew the time for doing what he thought was best, instead of what was really best for _her_, had passed. It was time to put herself first for once.

"Mija, please reconsider. I am seriously concerned for your well being. How much do you know about this woman? Are you sure she isn't just using you for your money?"

The idea that Arizona was interested in her only for the size of her bank account had never crossed Callie's mind. But it wasn't because Callie was naïve or blinded by lust. It was because she knew without a doubt, despite their short acquaintance, that Arizona was incapable of such a thing. She shook her head. "That's not it, Daddy. I'm sure of it. Besides, Arizona is one of the most successful poker players in the world. And despite what you say, it's not gambling. It's a skill. Just two days ago, she won several hundred thousand dollars. And that's not the only thing she's won. Her house alone must be worth a few million dollars. And Arizona is one of the most genuine, caring, and kind people I've ever met. She's not a gold digger. But if you have to cut me off to prove your point, so be it." Callie waved her hand dismissively, hoping that her inner pain wasn't showing through.

"How can you be sure she isn't just a fling, Calliope?"

"Because she's already become one of the most important people in my life. She matters to me, Daddy. A great deal."

"She's important enough to throw away your family? Important enough to just dismiss those of us who have been there for you your entire life?" Her father was clearly exasperated, but Callie remained firm.

"You're the one who's forcing me to make that choice, Daddy, not me." Callie struggled to keep her tone even, not wanting to make a scene in public.

"As your father, it is my job to protect you from making unwise decisions. And that is what I'm trying to do. I cannot emphasize enough to you how disappointed I am." He shook his head, clearly shocked that she hadn't caved like he'd expected.

"I'm a grown woman, Daddy. I wish you'd let me make my own decisions and at least try to support me in those decisions. And you keep telling me how disappointed you are in me. Frankly, I'm disappointed in you. Family is supposed to be the constant – the people who are there for you, to support you no matter what. It's not like I just told you I'm an axe murderer or something."

"Clearly we're getting nowhere, Calliope. So I'll ask you one more time and beg you to reconsider before you throw your life away so carelessly." He ran a frustrated hand over his balding head.

Callie shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Daddy." Her response came out almost as a whisper as she rose from the table and fled.

Callie returned to her room and sank back onto the bed, taking a moment to reflect on what had just happened. She couldn't believe she'd done it. She'd just cut herself off from everything she knew, from her family, from her security. Her heart was breaking, yet she felt so free. She was going to be the strong, confident woman she knew she could be. She was going to make it on her own. She was scared . . . damn scared, but for once, she was going to let go of that fear.

She shook her head, attempting to rid herself of the disbelief. She'd finally done it. She'd stood up to her father – something that she'd never been able to do before. It was something that Arizona had given her the strength to do. Shit! Arizona. She'd undoubtedly hurt her with her shocked response. How could she have been such an idiot? Her "friend," Arizona, might not even want anything to do with her anymore. She needed to talk to her. She'd worry about her own problems, like how she was going to survive with no money, later. Right now, all that was important was making amends with her girlfriend – at least she hoped she was still her girlfriend.

Callie picked up her phone and dialed Arizona's number. After listening to several rings, each irritating tone causing Callie's heart to sink further, the voicemail came on. Callie couldn't help but smile slightly at the sweet, perky tone of Arizona's voice. After leaving Arizona a message asking her to please call her, she grabbed her purse and keys and headed to her car. On the off chance that Arizona was avoiding her calls, she'd have to make an in-person visit to her house. Hopefully she'd be there.

As Callie pulled up to Arizona's house, her heart sank. Arizona's car was gone. She dialed her cell phone again, hoping that she'd pick up – no such luck. She left another voicemail and also sent a text message for good measure. She let out a sigh and slammed her head back against the headrest of her seat. Finally, frustrated beyond belief and still overwhelmed by the fight with her father, she allowed herself a moment to wallow in self-pity, tears trickling down her cheeks. She'd really screwed up. Not only had she just lost her family, but she'd clearly upset Arizona. She only hoped she hadn't done irreparable damage to their relationship.

Composing herself, Callie called and left Arizona another voicemail before making the rounds of the typical Vegas locations that she knew Arizona frequented. Arizona was nowhere to be found – clearly she wanted to remain unfound. Frustrated, Callie called Mark.

"Hey Mark."

"What's up, Torres?"

"Have you seen Arizona today?" Callie hoped he would have some information as to her whereabouts.

"Blondie? No. Why?"

"I messed up. Big time."

"What did you do, Torres? Tell her that a pair of jeans made her butt look big? Pull her hair too hard when you two were braiding each other's hair? Paint her toenails the wrong shade of pink?"

"Mark, I'm serious. I messed up. My father showed up, unannounced this morning. Arizona was with me. I panicked. I introduced her as my friend, not my girlfriend. I clearly hurt her."

"Ouch," he responded.

"Ouch is right. And to top it all off, my father didn't buy it for a minute. He told me if I didn't leave Arizona and poker and come home to Miami, he'd cut me off."

"Wow. Papa Torres doesn't mess around! What did you do?"

"I told him that I was staying here. That poker and Arizona made me happier than I'd ever been."

"Good for you, Callie." Though she couldn't see it, Mark was smiling with pride that she'd finally stood up to her father.

"Yeah, hopefully it wasn't for nothing. I haven't been able to find her. I need to explain, to apologize."

"Sorry, I can't help you there, Cal. Why don't you give Teddy a call? Maybe she'll have an idea of where she's at."

"Do you have her number, Mark? I don't have it."

After Mark gave her the number, they said their goodbyes. "Good luck, Callie. Though for what it's worth, I don't think you'll need it."

"Thanks, Mark."

"Anytime, Torres." With that, they both hung up and Callie dialed Teddy's number.

"Hello?" Teddy answered after the third ring.

"Hey, Teddy. This is Callie Torres."

"Hi, Callie."

"Sorry to bother you – Mark gave me your number."

"No bother. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you might have seen Arizona today . . . or if you might know where she'd go if she were upset?"

"I take it you two had a fight?"

"Something like that. Let's just say I was a complete idiot this morning and now I can't find her to apologize. She's not answering her phone."

"I'm sure you'll work through it, whatever it is. I haven't seen her today. There is this park she goes to sometimes when she's had a bad run at cards. When she needs to think." Teddy gave Callie directions to the park.

"Thanks Teddy. I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem. One thing, Callie."

"What's that?"

"Don't mess this up. I've known Arizona for a long time and I've never seen her like this with anyone. Even her ex, Joanne. Never like this. So don't toy with her heart if you're not sure. It'll break her."

"I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep from messing this up. It's important to me as well – obviously."

"Okay, then. If you do find her, tell her to call me and fill me in later. In the meantime, go get your girl."

"Thanks again, Teddy. Bye." Callie hung up and headed to the park Teddy had suggested. She silently prayed that Arizona was there. She needed to make this right. The thought of losing Arizona devastated her. She knew they'd only been together for a short time, but right now, mending what she'd broken felt like a matter of life and death.

Arizona took a few deep breaths as she sat on her favorite bench, overlooking a small duck pond. This park, filled with trees, was like an oasis in the middle of Las Vegas's neon desert. It was place she came when she needed to think, to find some silence, to get away. And she definitely needed all of that at the moment.

Her heart ached. She'd be blinded by her feelings for Callie. She'd let her tear down the protective walls she'd so carefully constructed around her vulnerable heart. And what had it gotten her? Hurt all over again. Just like with Joanne. Only this was 100 times worse. The fact that she felt so much, felt so deeply, after such a short acquaintance, was frightening. And now, the uncertainty caused by Callie's words this morning threatened to break her.

Friend. She was Callie's friend. Was that what Callie really wanted? Would she fall in line and do as her father told her? Maybe she'd just been an experiment. Now that her father was here, maybe Callie would come to her senses and fly back to Miami. Go and marry some stodgy banker who'd give her a bunch of babies and a stable, boring, "normal" life.

The doubts were overwhelming. She was usually so confident - doubt was not something she dealt with often. Yet, Arizona felt as though she were drowning with uncertainty. If she really examined herself, she knew why. It was because she cared – deeply. She cared so much for Calliope, someone she'd only known for a short time. And because she cared, it mattered. So her confidence was in shambles. The thought that Callie might not fight for herself as a strong independent woman, fight for her poker career upset her. But the thought that Callie might not fight for them, for her, for her heart, shattered her.

"Hey." Callie's gentle voice brought Arizona out of her thoughts. She turned around, wiping away a few tears, to see Callie . . . her Calliope, standing there.

Callie offered her a bashful smile before coming to sit beside her on the bench.

"I . . . am so, so sorry, Arizona."

Arizona's heart sank. Unused to the doubt, she assumed the worst, that Callie was here to end things. "Don't. Please don't apologize Callie. I understand this is all new and scary. I'm sure it was a hard choice to make and going back home might be the right thing. I don't know. But I'll support you. As much as it will hurt, I'll still be your _friend_. It's not . . ." Callie cut her words off with a brief but heartfelt kiss. Arizona was shocked at first, but eased into the kiss, reaching up to cup Callie's cheek and to bring her closer.

Finally Callie pulled back and gently stroked away the tears that Arizona had been unable to contain. "You're adorable when you're scared, Arizona. Now please, let me finish what I need to say. I promise, it won't hurt."

Arizona nodded. Callie took her hand and brought it to her lips, gently kissing the blonde's knuckles. "I am so sorry that I panicked this morning. You are so much more than a friend to me. Right now, you're the most important person in my life. You make me so happy and I can't imagine not being with you . . . which is what I told my father when he threatened to cut me off."

Arizona gasped in shock. "He didn't! He actually threatened that?"

Callie nodded. "He said if I didn't stop playing poker and end my sinful relationship with you, then I'd be on my own. He asked me what my choice would be. I chose you . . . and me. My new life. On my own."

Arizona's heart swelled, knowing how hard that decision must have been for Callie, the girl who always did as she was told. Her bright blue eyes shimmered with a mixture of pride and awe. "You are so amazing, Calliope. You are so strong. I'm so proud of you. I know how difficult that must have been."

"It was . . ." Callie began, her voice wavering as her overwhelming emotions finally took over. Hot tears began to run down her cheeks as she finally let herself break down.

Arizona drew her into her arms and rubbed Callie's back reassuringly. "I can't even imagine what you must be feeling. But do know this. You are not alone, Calliope. I will be there with you every step of the way. I'm sure Mark and our other friends will be too. And maybe your father will come around. Give him some time to get used to the idea."

They sat without speaking for several minutes, Callie's body quaking against Arizona, her tears staining the blonde's shoulder, as she let out all of the pent up emotions of the day.

Finally, Callie's sobs ceased. Arizona placed a gentle kiss on the top of Callie's head. "Come on, let's get you home."

Callie looked up into Arizona's eyes, her face red and puffy from her crying jag. "I don't have a home anymore." Another tear escaped her beautiful brown eyes. Arizona gently kissed it away.

"Sure you do. My home is your home, Calliope. I love you."


	15. Chapter 15

Title: All Bets Are Off 15/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: Sorry this is a little late and kind of short. Ended up working a 14 hour day today, which left not much writing time. But being the compulsive person I am, I wanted to post something. This hasn't been proofed, so I apologize for typos. Will fix tomorrow.

"Sure you do. My home is your home, Calliope. I love you."

Arizona's words cut through Callie's emotional haze like a bolt of white, hot, thrilling lighting. She sat up and gazed directly into Arizona's piercing blue eyes, a look of shock on her face. "You do?"

Arizona bit her lip, silently cursing her impulsivity. It had felt right to say it, but perhaps it was too soon. The last thing she wanted to do was to scare Callie . . . or worse, to burden her with yet another thing on a day that was already so hard for her. What if she didn't feel it? Then she'd feel this obligation – either to say it back without meaning it, or worse - to feel as though she'd be letting her down if she didn't say it. Finally, deciding that taking it back or trying to cover it would be worse, Arizona tentatively nodded. "I do."

A small, tentative smile spread across Callie's face. "I love you too." She almost whispered it as several new tears spilled down her cheeks.

Arizona reached up and gently wiped them away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. If this is too much . . ."

Callie shook her head. "No, it's just right. These are happy tears. It's exactly what I needed to hear today. Are you sure? You're not just saying it to make me feel better?"

Arizona chuckled. "I'm sure. You want to know how sure?"

Callie nodded.

"I've never said it before . . . at least not to anyone who wasn't family. Or maybe I might have told the occasional poker dealer that I loved them when they dealt me the right cards. But never like this. Never in a relationship. Not even with my ex Joanne. I thought I was heading there with her, but I never said it. I love you, Calliope Torres. And it scares the hell out of me. Because I've never felt this way. Ever. Until you." Arizona gazed directly into Callie's deep brown eyes, attempting to convey the depth of her feelings. "After what happened with your father today, I totally understand the doubt you're feeling. But don't ever doubt this. I love you." She reached up and placed a gentle hand on Callie's cheek, cupping it as she drew her towards her for a brief, but heartfelt kiss. As Arizona pulled back, she leaned her forehead against Callie's. "But also know that I'll wait. If you're not ready, please don't feel that you need to say it back. I know you already have, but I don't want to pressure you. I'll be patient. You're worth the wait."

Callie offered Arizona the first real smile she'd seen since the arrival of her father. "No. I want to say it. I meant it. I love you too, Arizona. I've been in denial trying to suppress it. I'm always the first to say it. I'm always the one who jumps in head first. And consequently, I'm the one to get burned in the end. I think, even though I wasn't willing to admit it at the time, I fell in love with you the first time you called me sweetie, patronizing as it was. Or maybe the first time you called me Calliope. I don't know what's going on – I feel so out of control. I don't know which end is up - and it's all because of you. But I do know that I love you. And makes me so, so happy to know you feel it too." Callie laughed as a tear trickled down Arizona's cheek. "Now who's the weepy one?" She gently wiped it away.

"Oh, be quiet, Calliope. Just shut up and kiss me."

Happy to oblige, Callie leaned in and took Arizona's lips with her own, threading her hands through Arizona's blonde locks as she deepened the kiss. Their tongues tangled against each other as fireworks exploded in their chests – the silent affirmation of their newly professed love taking the embrace to a whole other level of intimacy. Finally, bodies screaming for oxygen, they drew apart. Smiling, Arizona took Callie's hand. "Come on, let's get you moved in. I want to take my gorgeous girlfriend home."

Home. Callie smiled at the thought. Yes, they were going to where Arizona lived and yes that would be home. But in reality, there was a whole other meaning. Callie knew, without a doubt, that to her, Arizona was home. No matter if they were at her house in Las Vegas or somewhere else. Arizona was home.

After retrieving Callie's things from her hotel room, they headed back to Arizona's place. Arizona opened up the front door and immediately drew Callie against her, brushing a stray lock of raven hair away from her face. "Welcome home, Calliope."

"You're sure this isn't too soon? I don't want to burden you." Callie couldn't help but feel she was imposing. As much as her heart was screaming for her to stay, she had to be sure.

Arizona smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before heading to the kitchen. After rummaging around in a drawer, she returned, gently caressing Callie's hand before placing something in her palm. Looking directly into Callie's eyes, her own blue ones shining with love, she caressed the brunette's face gently. "I've never been more sure of anything, Calliope." She smiled as Callie looked down at her hand, to see the set of keys Arizona had just placed there.

A smile slowly crept across Callie's face. "You are amazing, Arizona Robbins. I love you so much." Callie pulled her in for a long and heart-felt hug, content to just stand there and take in the essence of the woman who had come to mean so much to her in such a short period of time.

After a few minutes of contented silence, Arizona pulled away and kissed Callie gently on the cheek. "Come on, let's get your stuff unpacked and then we can relax." Callie nodded and they proceeded to unpack her things from the car.

Finally, after they were done getting Callie settled, they collapsed on the couch. Neither really felt the need to talk, so they sat in silence, content to just relax in each other's arms. Callie absent-mindedly fidgeted with stray lock of Arizona's hair as the events of the day replayed through her mind.

Now that she was finally settled and things had been taken care of, the emotions of the day began to overwhelm her again. She was so incredibly happy, yet so incredibly sad at the same time. She'd lost her family on the same day that she'd discovered that Arizona loved her. The conflict of such pain and such joy was just too much to bear. Snuggling closer to Arizona, she wrapped her arms tightly around the blonde. "Just hold me?"

Seeing the struggle written all over Callie's face, Arizona nodded. "Of course, baby. Just let it out. I'm here." Callie's body slowly began to shake as the sobs took her over. Arizona held her close, gently stroking Callie's hair, placing gentle kisses atop her head. It tore her apart to see Callie struggle like this. It made her want to track down Mr. Torres and give him a piece of her mind. The fact that anyone could coldly judge, could disown, could destroy such a truly beautiful person, inside and out, made her furious. But more than anger, she felt pain. Her heart ached for Callie. To be forced to make a choice between who she really was and her family – those she'd known forever, was unconscionable. But Callie had made the right choice in the long run – Arizona knew that for sure. She'd have never been happy had she gone back to her old life. With or without Arizona, she knew this to be true. Callie had grown so much. She was a free spirit now, no longer capable being kept in the carefully constructed cage her father had raised her in. But that didn't make the decision any easier. Finally, sensing that Callie's tears were coming to an end, Arizona reached down and took Callie's chin in her hands, bringing Callie's eyes to meet her own. "I am so proud of you, Calliope. It kills me to see you in such pain. But even if you're not feeling so sure about it right now, I know without a doubt, you will get through this. We'll get through it together. You are so strong. It's one of the many things I love about you."

Callie smiled weakly and laughed as she wiped the tears away. "Even when I'm all red and splotchy and full of boogers?"

Arizona laughed and reached over to grab a tissue, offering it to her girlfriend. "Yes, Calliope. I love you even when you're splotchy and boogery." She placed a quick kiss on Callie's lips before rising from the couch and pulling Callie with her. "Come on. Let me take care of you."

Callie was unsure of what Arizona meant, but followed her anyway. She'd follow her anywhere. Arizona led them to the bedroom and patted the bed. "Wait here a minute." Arizona headed to the master bath and Callie heard her turn on the bath faucet. She smiled. She really was lucky to have such a special person in her life.

After a few minutes, Arizona reappeared and led Callie by the hand into the bathroom. A luxurious bubble bath was awaiting her, complete with candles and soft music. Arizona slowly and gently undressed her. After shedding her own clothes, Arizona joined Callie in the tub, sitting behind her with Callie's back cuddled up against her. Arizona gently washed Callie's hair, soothingly massaging her scalp and temples before grabbing a washcloth and gently washing her. There was no passion, no sexual intent. All Callie felt was love and care.

Callie finally was able to relax, to let go of some of the stress, the hurt, she'd felt. As Arizona lovingly stroked her skin, placing gentle, chaste kisses along her neck and shoulders, she slowly felt the emotions of the day melt away.

Arizona smiled as she finished, feeling Callie relax back against her, feeling the tension fade from her muscles. It hurt her so much to see Callie in pain. The obvious relief Callie was slowly feeling in turn granted Arizona some peace of mind. Callie reached up and pulled Arizona's arms around her, lacing their fingers together. After just holding each other in comforting silence for several minutes, Arizona placed one final kiss on Callie's temple and rose. "Let's get you out of here before we both freeze to death and turn into prunes."

Callie smiled back at her. "We wouldn't want that, would we?"

Arizona grabbed a towel and slowly, gently dried off her girlfriend before attending to herself. She then took Callie's hand and led her back into the bedroom. "Lie on your stomach." She directed Callie towards the bed. After retrieving some lotion, she joined her girlfriend on the bed. She began gently kneading any remaining stress out of Callie's back and shoulders.

Callie closed her eyes and sighed deeply as Arizona worked out the last kinks of tension from her body. The soothing feel of Arizona's hands as she gently massaged her back was like nothing she ever experienced. If Callie didn't know better, she would have sworn that she could feel the love seeping from Arizona's hands into her skin. She was so lucky to have found such a gentle, caring, giving person. The thought that she could have, and probably up until a few weeks ago, would have discarded such a gift at her father's insistence made her shudder.

Callie had never felt so relaxed in her whole life. Given the day's events, this was saying something. As the massage came to an end, Arizona gently nudged her to turn over. After Callie did so, Arizona hovered over her, placing a gentle sensuous kiss on her lips, her tongue slowly tracing its way across her lips, asking for permission to enter. Callie granted her girlfriend access, pulling Arizona flush against her as their kiss deepened, conveying the heightened emotions of the day.

Arizona slowly trailed her way down Callie's jaw line to her pulse point. Placing soft, gentle kisses across Callie's skin, she continued, covering every inch of her collarbone before reaching down to gently caress Callie's breasts.

Callie gasped as Arizona gently took her already pebbled nipple into her mouth, swirling it around her tongue, nipping and teasing it before moving on to do the same to her other breast. Everything was about gentleness. There was nothing rushed, nothing frenzied. Just quiet, soft, perfect caresses.

Arizona kissed her way down Callie's tanned abdomen, leaving a lazy trail as she explored the area with her tongue – blowing cool air across the now wet surface – stoking the fire building between Callie's legs to an inferno.

Looking up into Callie's darkened eyes, feeling her heavy breathing, Arizona had no doubt that it wouldn't take much to offer her girlfriend a much needed release. In no mood to be playful or teasing, Arizona didn't waste any more time before lowering her mouth to Callie's lust-slickened center. She began by gently tracing patterns over her girlfriend's drenched slit with her tongue, circling, but never directly touching, her sensitive nub. Drawing her tongue up and down Callie's length, she gently teased the opening of her core, before stiffening her tongue and entering her. Callie cried out, arching her hips to meet Arizona, needing as much contact as possible. Arizona reached up and gently rubbed Callie's bundle of nerves, which elicited a series of passionate moans from the brunette.

"Oh, God . . . Arizona . . .," Callie gasped as her hips began to buck, needing a release like her life depended on it.

Sensing that Callie was close and wanting for her to feel the depth of her love, Arizona replaced her tongue with her fingers, slowly entering Callie's heated canal, as she rose to make herself eye level with her girlfriend.

Arizona locked eyes with Callie as she set a pace and began to slowly and gently pump in and out of her girlfriend. Callie trailed her hand down the blonde's body, eager to give Arizona the same pleasure she was experiencing, but Arizona placed a staying hand across her arm.

"Don't. Let me take care of you." Arizona backed up her words by capturing Callie's lips in a loving, deep kiss meant to show her the depth of her love. Pulling back, Arizona continued to thrust into Callie, adding the weight of her hips against her hand. As her climax neared, Callie began to arch her hips, meeting Arizona's hand, a lover's dance all their own.

Looking directly into Callie's eyes, Arizona began to whisper. "I love you so much, Calliope. Come for me, baby. I want to see you come. I love you. Let me love you."

Callie was overwhelmed by Arizona's sensitivity, by her love. As their passion reached a fever pitch, Callie arched her back once more as she fell into the abyss, her release crashing all around her, along with the overwhelming sense of love and joy that Arizona had instilled in her. As she shuddered with the force of her climax, a few rebellious tears escaped her eyes. She felt so loved, so at peace. Finally, her body came down, and she collapsed under Arizona, wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde. Snuggling into the crook of her shoulder, she placed a gentle kiss against Arizona's neck. "Thank you," she whispered. "Now let me . . ."

Arizona rolled off Callie and shook her head. "No, Calliope. This was about you. I just wanted to show you how much you are loved. Now go to sleep." Arizona kissed her gently on the temple and spooned her from behind.

Callie wanted to protest, but the overwhelming emotions of the day took over. Safely wrapped in Arizona's arms, suddenly a world on her own didn't seem so scary.


	16. Chapter 16

Title: All Bets Are Off 16/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: Another long work day. Hopefully this is coherent. Also, though I've been to Las Vegas once, I literally only played poker, ate and slept, so I have no real idea of the other tourist destinations. I did about 5 minutes worth of research online, but am probably not representing the various Vegas locales accurately.

Callie awoke and lazily smiled as she reached over to Arizona's side of the bed. Her pleasant thoughts of the night before were interrupted by the realization that she was alone. Unreasonably panicking, she shot upright, looking around for any sign of her girlfriend. She wouldn't have just left her, would she? Before irrational doubts had a chance to take hold, Callie heard a commotion coming from the other room. Releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she threw on a t-shirt and some pajama pants and headed out to see what Arizona was up to.

Before she even entered the room, Callie could hear a stream of expletives escaping from Arizona's perfect mouth. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Arizona cursed as she struggled to put out what looked like a flaming piece of toast. Unable to resist, Callie stood there for a few moments, taking in the chaotic and adorable scene before her. They hadn't discussed cooking, but it clearly was not Arizona's strong suit – at least judging from the amount of smoke coming from the kitchen. The wounds of the previous morning were still fresh and Callie still felt hurt and abandoned. The pain was tempered, however, by the love and sensitivity of the flustered blonde before her. It was hard not to feel just a little better knowing that she wasn't alone, that she was loved by someone as amazing as Arizona Robbins. Someone who'd stand by her, no matter what. Also, the fact that her girlfriend was making a complete idiot of herself in her attempt at the culinary arts made Callie forget her pain for a least a few moments. She stood there, a half-smile on her face, as she watched Arizona destroy breakfast.

Finally, feeling sorry for her girlfriend, Callie made her way over and wrapped her arms around Arizona from behind, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Arizona, who had been caught up in the disaster that was breakfast, hadn't heard Callie enter the room. She jumped, momentarily startled by the arms roping around her waist. She quickly relaxed however, as Callie's warm breath tickled her neck.

"Need some help?" Callie whispered as she continued to place gentle kisses across Arizona's cheek and jaw line.

"I think I've got it."

"Oh really?" Arizona could feel Callie's body shake with laughter as she responded. "Judging by the state of what I'm guessing was once a piece of toast, it looks like you might need rescuing."

Arizona turned in Callie's arms, locking eyes with the gorgeous woman before her. "I am most certainly not in need of rescue, Calliope. I am not some damsel in distress. And I'm perfectly capable of making you breakfast. I just had a little setback is all."

"Arizona, for both our sakes, please admit that as awesome as you generally are, you are not a rock star in the kitchen. I on the other hand am. Which is lucky for you." Callie grinned and placed a quick kiss on Arizona's pouty lips before turning to attend to what might have once been called food. Her eyes gazed over the counter, quickly assessing what could be fixed, before she sprung into action.

Deciding that fighting this battle would be futile, and downright stupid – because she'd have to eat her own decidedly sub-par cooking, Arizona took a seat at the breakfast bar, content to watch Callie work. It became quickly obvious from Callie's skilled and practiced movements that she was no stranger to a kitchen.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Arizona asked after a minute, feeling guilty to just watch while Callie worked.

"Nooo. Definitely not. Let me do something for you for a change. You just keep your beautiful ass parked over there looking pretty, so I can check you out in between tasks." Callie smirked and sent Arizona a flirtatious look.

"Hey! Stop objectifying me. I am more than a hot piece of ass." Arizona crossed her arms in mock anger.

"Oh, I'm sorry, babe, but I can't help it. Objectifying you is one of my favorite pastimes." Callie snickered and turned back to her cooking.

Arizona attempted to keep a straight face, but was unable to, mirth breaking through her façade. She did some objectifying of her own as she watched Callie skillfully put together a breakfast that looked ten times better than the burnt toast and runny eggs that she'd been attempting. Even all rumpled and disheveled from sleep, she was gorgeous.

Finished, Callie headed to the breakfast bar with two plates in hand and slid onto the stool next to Arizona. As she set the plates before them, Arizona looked down in awe at the amazing meal before her, taking a moment to inhale the delicious scents rising from the food. Finally, she dug in, taking a delicious mouthful of some sort of egg dish.

"This is amazing, Calliope. The number of surprises I keep discovering about you never ceases to amaze me. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

The smile that had been on Callie's face instantly faded. "I uh . . . I learned from my mother and grandmother." She smiled weakly, trying to put on a brave face.

Arizona's heart sank, realizing that she'd unintentionally brought the painful subject of her family bubbling back to the surface. "I'm sorry, Calliope. I didn't mean to bring them up."

Callie shook her head. "It's okay. It's not like you could have known. Besides, it's something I'm going to have to get used to. Family comes up a lot. I won't have you tiptoeing around me like some wounded puppy. It hurts, but I'll get used to it."

Arizona ached for her. She reached out and put a reassuring hand on Callie's arm. She looked deep into her chocolate brown eyes. "I know. It's just that when you hurt, I hurt. And you shouldn't have to get used to it. I still can't believe he did that. Just please know that I am here for you. Whatever you need. If you need to cry some more. If you need to yell. If you need to laugh. Please just ask."

Callie offered her a small smile before grasping Arizona's hand. "You are so incredible, Arizona. I don't know how I'd get through this without you . . . in fact I know for sure I wouldn't. You give me the strength to carry on. To stand up for myself. And for that, I'll be forever grateful."

Arizona gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Just so you are fully aware, Calliope, this isn't a one-way street. I am grateful for you too. You bring so much joy, so much light into my life. So don't for a minute ever think that I'm this saintly, selfless person. I am doing this for you . . . but I'm also doing it for me. Because you, Calliope Torres, make me so incredibly happy. And I love you, so, so much. It scares me, how much I love you."

Callie gazed into Arizona's baby blues, which were shimmering with sincerity and feeling. "It scares me too. But it's a good scary."

Arizona nodded. "It is indeed. The best kind of scary." She leaned over and gave Callie a short, but heartfelt kiss. "Now, enough of this deep stuff. Let's finish our breakfast before it gets cold. We've got plans today."

Callie arched her eyebrow in surprise. "We do? What exactly are those plans?"

"You and I are going on a date."

"A date? Where to?" Callie smiled at the idea of going on an official date with her girlfriend. They'd spent a lot of time together, but somehow had skipped the official dating game.

"Oh, you'll just have to wait and see."

"Come on, babe. Just one hint?" Callie put on a fake pout and used her best puppy dog look.

Arizona laughed and shook her head. "No way, Calliope. You're just going to have to be patient."

"Fine," Callie grumbled before turning back to her breakfast. She ate as quickly as possible, eager to see what their plans entailed.

After they'd cleaned up their breakfast and gotten ready for the day, Arizona led Callie to her car, running around to open the passenger side door for her. Callie smiled at the gesture and immediately took Arizona's hand in hers once she'd backed them out safely onto the street.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me where we're going?"

Arizona flashed Callie those adorable dimples. "Nope. Just be patient, Calliope. This date is going to be awesome."

Resigning herself to the mystery, Callie grinned back, stroking her thumb over the back of Arizona's hand. "How could it not be? I get to spend it with you."

"You know it," Arizona teased.

They spent the rest of the car ride engaged in flirty banter. Callie stopped mid-sentence, however as they pulled up at just about the last destination that she ever expected to visit.

"Uh . . . Arizona. Why are we at the Elvis Museum? Please don't tell me you're some sort of closet Elvis freak."

Arizona turned to face Callie, locking eyes with a serious look on her face. "And what if I were? You're telling me that you'd kick me to the curb just because I love me some blue suede shoes and rhinestone-covered jumpsuits? Really, Calliope, I'm hurt." Arizona tried to keep a straight face, but the traitorous appearance of her dimples gave her away. Soon, unable to contain herself, she burst out laughing. Callie quickly joined her. "Don't worry. No blue suede shoes for me. Just my pink Chucks. Which you still haven't admitted are awesome, by the way."

"So if you're not a secret Elvis lover, then why on Earth are we here?"

"We are playing tourist today, Calliope. We're going to do a bunch of cheesy Vegas things – forget all about yesterday. We're going to indulge in the ridiculous fantasy that is Las Vegas. And you're going to love it. Now come on, let's go in." She hopped out of the car and sprinted around to open Callie's door again. Callie rolled her eyes and took Arizona's hand as they headed inside.

Callie had to admit, she enjoyed herself, as she walked hand-in-hand through room after room of Elvis related memorabilia. Though she'd never admit it, Callie loved the souvenir she left the museum with. Arizona and she had posed with an Elvis impersonator for a photo. There was something incredibly special and dorky about the fact that their first picture together as a couple also included Elvis. It was so Vegas. It was so cheesy. It was so perfect.

After their visit to the museum, they stopped for lunch before heading to the Sahara casino, where they rode a roller coaster past visions of camels and the desert. Callie loved it, screaming at the top of her lungs, releasing all of her pent up frustration and pain.

Arizona loved it too, snuggled up against Callie in the roller coaster car, hanging onto each other for dear life as the ride made its twists and turns. What she loved more, however, was the look of unmitigated joy and excitement on Callie's face. At least for a few moments, she'd been able to forget the pain and hurt that her father had caused her. Arizona knew in that moment that she'd spend the rest of her life making sure this look crossed Callie's face as often as possible. She had a new goal in life – to bring the joy into this amazing woman's life, knowing she'd receive the same in return.

After their joy ride, they headed to the Venetian. Callie eyed Arizona curiously as they entered the casino. Soon, their destination became clear. Arizona led Callie over to the gondola ride, where they rode through a simulated version of Venice's canals. Sitting close together, arms around each other, they took in the sights in comfortable silence.

Knowing that Arizona had been right, that this was turning into the perfect day, Callie leaned over and whispered into her ear. "You are perfect, Arizona Robbins. This is just what I needed. I love you." She leaned back, slightly, her breath washing over Arizona's skin, before placing a tender kiss on her temple. Arizona simply smiled back at her and pulled Callie tighter against her as they continued their boat ride.

After leaving the Venetian, Arizona drove them to what looked like a giant castle. Once inside the Excalibur casino, Arizona turned to Callie. "Time for dinner. Ready for some more fun, Calliope?"

Callie hesitated. "Are you sure? You've been paying for us all day. I've got some poker chips in here somewhere . . ." She began rummaging around in her purse, trying not think about the fact that the only money she had left to her name resided in the bottom of her bag.

Arizona placed a staying hand on her arm. "Don't, Calliope. Please let me get this. We'll worry about this stuff tomorrow. Today is about fun. Besides, I'm the one who asked _you_ out on this date. What kind of date would I be if I made you pay?" Callie nodded and smiled, grateful that Arizona was so understanding, so kind.

Arizona took her hand and led them to a dinner show called the "Tournament of Kings." They were given paper crowns to wear and were seated in the section called "Ireland." They watched the medieval show, cheering on the Irish King in his jousting battles, all while eating their meal with their hands, much like would have been done in medieval times. Both women got into the action, cheering and hooting as their king fought his battles.

A vendor came around selling various trinkets and souvenirs. Arizona flagged him down and bought a single red rose that lit up in the dark. She handed it to Callie. "For my lady."

Callie took it and shook her head. "You are something else. Such a goofball. But a romantic goofball."

After the show, they walked hand-in-hand outside the magnificent fountain at the Bellagio, taking in the spectacular view. It was a perfectly romantic way to end a perfect day.

Finally breaking their silence, Callie turned and placed her arms around Arizona's waist. "I know I've said this already, but thank you. This was exactly what I needed. So thank you."

"No, thank _you_, Calliope. This day has been every bit as enjoyable for me as it was for you. And I know we're going to have nothing but more amazing days like this in the future."

Arizona leaned up and captured Callie's lips in a passionate kiss just as the fountain began exploding, water shooting up the air as if synchronized with the beauty of their kiss. Arizona hummed with pleasure as she leaned closer into Callie, their tongues gently dancing against one another as they continued their embrace. Finally needing air, they pulled apart. "Come on . . .," Arizona rasped. "Let's go make this day even more awesome . . . at home." Callie nodded and wrapped her arm around Arizona's waist as they headed back to the car.

Once they were through the front door of the house, Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie's neck, gazing into her gorgeous brown eyes. "So, did my date measure up? Am I going to get lucky?"

Callie smirked. "You're already lucky. You know, with me letting you bask in my rock star glory and all . . ."

Arizona laughed at Callie's turn of confidence.

Callie smirked again and continued. "Time to take you to bed, Ms. Robbins. However, before I do that, please get rid of that ridiculous crown. You look absurd." Callie reached up and tapped the paper crown that Arizona had refused to remove since dinner.

Callie's eyes darkened with lust. "But wear the pink Chucks . . ."


	17. Chapter 17

Title: All Bets Are Off 17/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

Arizona awoke to the sound of muttering and rustling from across the bedroom. Sitting up, she saw Callie sitting on the bedroom floor, rummaging through her purse before finally giving up and dumping its contents onto the floor. Unable to resist, Arizona smiled at the cute scene before her. She was unsure exactly what Callie was up to, but was content to watch her beautiful girlfriend do just about anything.

Finally, Arizona's curiosity got the better of her. "Calliope. What on earth are you doing?"

Callie's head shot up in surprise. "Oh . . . um. Just taking stock. Seeing what kind of money I've got to work with. I just checked my bank accounts online – my father's cleared me out. So all I have to my name is my car and what's in this purse."

Arizona's heart sank. Yesterday, they'd done such a good job of avoiding the fact that Callie had been left without a family, a home, and any resources. But today, reality had come crashing back down.

"You know I'm always here to help, if you need it." She offered Callie a small smile.

Callie nodded. "I know, but I need to do this on my own. Make it without help. If I just shift from living off of my father's support to yours, I'm not really changing anything. I've got to make my own way."

Arizona sighed, wishing she could help, but knowing that Callie was probably right. "Okay. Just know that it's okay to ask, if you need help."

"Thanks." Callie smiled wanly before returning to the pile on the floor, meticulously picking up every stray casino chip and the contents of her wallet before heading over to sit on the bed. She spread the chips and cash out in front of her, assessing exactly what she had. She smiled. "Good. I've got enough. There's a tournament over at Caesar's at noon that I want to try. If I'm going to play in any more World Series events, I'm going to need to increase the size of my bankroll, and fast."

Arizona knew the tournament that Callie had referred to. "Are you sure, Callie? The Caesar's tournament is a freezeout. You know what that is, right?"

Callie nodded. "Yeah, it's a winner take all situation. Only first place pays any money. I get it. It's a risk. If I don't win, I lose everything."

"I don't doubt that you're capable of winning, Calliope, but a lot can happen with the turn of the card. What happens if you lose?"

"I can't think about that right now. I need to make some money and this is the quickest way to do it."

Arizona sighed, resigned to the fact that Callie was going to do this. Part of her had to be proud – the old Callie wouldn't have taken this chance. However, another part of her was concerned. Even the best poker players lost sometimes. Luck didn't always go their way. She shrugged off these doubts though, seeing the determination written across Callie's face. Also, she knew that the last thing her girlfriend needed was for her to undermine her already shaky confidence any further. "Okay. I'm free today, so I'll tag along, play the tourney as well."

Callie smiled. "Great, it's settled. You just better watch out Ms. Robbins. If you're at my table, no amount of dimples and flirting will protect you. I'm going to dominate you so bad . . ." Callie's words were cut off as Arizona tackled her, covering Callie's body with her own before beginning an assault with her mouth.

"What was that about dominating, Calliope?" Arizona whispered before proceeding to doing some dominating of her own for the next hour.

They arrived at the casino and proceeded to the cashier to register for the tournament. Just as they approached the registration area, Arizona stopped, putting a staying hand on Callie's arm.

"Calliope, I wouldn't feel right if I didn't try to talk to you at least one more time. Are you sure you want to risk everything on this tournament? I have the utmost faith in you, but sometimes in poker, things go the wrong way." She locked her blue eyes on Callie's, attempting to convey her concern.

Callie faltered for a moment, questioning whether or not she really had it in her to take this risk. However, she'd already come so far, given up so much. She shook her head. "It's alright, Arizona. I appreciate your concern. I do. But I need to do this, for me."

"What if I gave you a loan?" Arizona suggested, sensing that it was futile to offer assistance, but unable to sit back and do nothing. The look of conviction on Callie's face to her everything she needed to know.

Callie shook her head again, trying not to be irritated by Arizona's apparent lack of faith in her. "I'm fine, really. Now let's register."

Arizona sighed in resignation and headed to register. After they'd paid their entry fees, they stood off to one side of the room, spending their last few minutes together before heading to their separate tables. Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie's waist. "Have I told you lately how hot you look in that leather jacket and those aviators?" Arizona asked. "You're like this walking leather-clad wet dream. Very, very hot." Arizona reached down and grabbed Callie's ass.

"Arizona!" Callie chastised her, slightly embarrassed by Arizona's forwardness.

Arizona giggled and pulled her in for a quick kiss. They struggled to maintain some modicum of decorum, as both remembered their morning activities. Just as their kiss turned heated, Callie's phone began to ring. Letting out a groan of frustration, Callie pulled away and took her phone out of her pocket.

Looking down at the caller ID, Callie's face blanched. "It's my father."

"Aren't you going to answer it? Maybe he's calling to apologize?"

Callie let out a nervous breath and answered. As she did so, Arizona placed a peck on her cheek and whispered "Good luck," before walking away. She sensed that Callie needed some privacy, so headed to her table assignment.

"Hello?" Callie answered her phone hesitantly, no knowing what to expect.

"Calliope?"

"Yes, Daddy." Callie replied.

"I just wanted to check in . . . to see how you are doing."

Callie's heart swelled a little. He cared how she was doing - maybe he'd seen the error of his ways.

"I'm fine," she said, not wanting to offer too much.

"But are you really, Calliope? You've just cast off your family, your friends back here. You're alone. Without a support system. So are you really fine? I suspect you're having second thoughts – and thinking that coming home is the right decision after all."

Any hope she'd had for a reconciliation flew out the window with his response. His overconfidence steeled her resolve. "I didn't choose any of those things, Daddy. You did. I'm a grown woman and I've made my decision. I won't be changing my mind."

"Are you sure that's wise, mija? You've always had me there, ready to catch you when you fell. That's what fathers are for. Do you really think you can make it without that support?"

Callie felt her anger rising. "Fathers are also supposed to support their daughters, no matter what. They're not supposed to judge. Their love is supposed to be unconditional. And that's exactly what you've done, Daddy. Offered me conditions on your love and support. And I don't appreciate it – or the fact that you seem to have so little faith in me. I just wish you'd trust me. But until then, please don't call me." Before he had a chance to say anything else, she hung up. She was shaking with a mixture of rage and hurt. She'd been functioning pretty well the past day or so and this call had just brought all of her suppressed feelings bubbling back to the surface. She shook it off as best she could and went to find her seat. It was time to kick some poker ass.

At the first opportunity, Arizona approached Callie, eager to hear about her conversation with her father. She was hopeful that maybe he'd called to apologize.

"What did your dad want?" Arizona asked tentatively.

"He called to make sure I was still okay with my decision . . . and to remind me that he'd always been there to protect me and that I was really on my own now." She lowered her eyes and shook her head, struggling to hold back the tears.

Arizona laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Calliope. If there's anything I can do . . ."

Callie shook her head. "I'm fine. I just really need this win. So can we talk about something else? I need to focus on winning."

Arizona nodded and proceeded to distract Callie the best way she knew how, with some gentle flirting. As they headed back to their respective tables, Arizona's thoughts returned to Callie's situation. There had to be something she could do . . . if only she could figure out what. Some way to help, even when Callie wasn't willing to accept help . . . but how?

The two women spent the better part of the day playing the tournament, both accumulating large amounts of chips. Eventually, as the field of players was whittled down to 10, they both arrived at the same, final table. After a while, the remaining players were knocked out one-by-one, leaving just Callie and Arizona to vie for the prize money.

Callie sensed that something was off about Arizona's demeanor. She wasn't her normal perky, outgoing self. There was no banter, no flirting, no playful taunting. Instead, she seemed overly serious and deadly silent. Additionally, despite having made it to the final two, Arizona did not seem to be bringing her A-game to the table. Arizona made some decidedly odd choices, such as betting aggressively as though she had a big hand, only to fold later, thus practically giving her chips away to Callie.

After battling it out for about an hour, the tournament director informed them that they would have a 10 minute break. Callie pulled Arizona aside. "Are you feeling okay, Arizona?" Callie's eyes reflected her concern.

"I'm super. Why?" Arizona's response was suspiciously perky, even for her.

"I don't know. You've just been uncharacteristically quiet. And you seem distracted or something. You're playing differently than I would have expected."

Arizona shrugged noncommittally. "I'm just trying to mix it up a little. If I play too predictably, you'll figure me out. I've got to keep you on your toes." She leaned up and kissed Callie on the cheek. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to make a quick phone call. Teddy left me a voicemail. She's probably just having man trouble again, but she made it sound urgent, so I'd better check."

Callie nodded and watched her walk away. Something was definitely up. She wasn't sure what, but Arizona was definitely acting cagey.

Arizona strode away and pulled out her phone, before pretending to call Teddy. She hadn't really had a missed call, she'd just needed to escape Callie's grilling. She chided herself for not having a better poker face – it was her job after all. But somehow, she couldn't fool Callie. It was like she could see right through into her soul. She felt guilty, but she really couldn't let Callie know what was up. Callie would freak out. After waiting out the rest of their break time, she headed back to the table.

After playing a few uneventful hands, Callie looked down and saw that she had two 10s. It wasn't a bad hand to start with, especially when playing heads' up with only one other player. She bet and Arizona immediately raised the bet. After a moment, Callie called. This betting pattern continued through the next two rounds of betting. Callie would bet, Arizona would raise and then Callie would match the bet. She was nervous that Arizona had a better hand than hers, but there were no community cards on the board to suggest this.

After the last community card had been revealed, Callie placed one more bet. Arizona thought for a moment and then raised again. "I'm all in," she announced as she pushed all of her remaining chips towards the center.

Callie took a moment to think. The community cards were all seemingly innocuous, not much for her to fear. Her heart was pounding in her chest – her whole career, her whole "make it on her own" thing, was riding on this moment. Finally, gathering her courage, she announced that she would call Arizona's bet. Callie turned over her 10s and waited to see what Arizona would reveal.

Arizona smiled shyly. "You beat me. Good game, Calliope." She started to slide her hand, unrevealed, towards the pile of discarded cards. Callie reached out and stayed her hand.

"Wait. Show me what you've got. I'm curious."

"Why does it matter? I said you beat me." Arizona again attempted to muck her cards unseen.

Callie, suspicious at this point, shook her head. "You know the rules, Arizona. I've got a right to see your hand."

Sighing, Arizona turned over her hand. It was a 7 of clubs and a 2 of diamonds. Callie was confused. An unsuited 7-2 was the worst possible starting hand in poker. And nothing in the community cards had improved Arizona's hand at all. She'd been betting with nothing.

Callie looked up, fixing her gaze on Arizona's eyes. Her eyes gave her away, immediately reflecting a look of guilt. A feeling of hurt, of anger, stabbed through Callie's gut like a knife as the realization washed over her. Arizona had thrown the tournament so that she'd win the money. Callie controlled herself until the focus was no longer on them. After collecting her winnings, she grabbed Arizona's arm and pulled her off to a secluded corner of the room.

"What the hell was that, Arizona?" Callie's voice was laced with anger and made Arizona shrink back slightly.

"What do you mean?" Arizona replied, unwilling to admit anything without a fight.

"You threw the tournament. You let me win. How could you do that? I told you that I needed to do this on my own!" Callie ran an exasperated hand through her raven locks.

Realizing that denial probably wouldn't get her anywhere, Arizona let out a breath and tried to explain herself. "I'm sorry, Calliope. I just wanted to help and I knew you wouldn't let me. Now you've got a bankroll to get you through the World Series. I just want to see you succeed and want to help you do it. Is that so wrong?"

Callie struggled to contain her anger. Arizona's actions, which right now felt like a betrayal, along with her father's phone call, made it hard for her to think straight. All she knew was that she incredibly angry. "Did you not listen to a word I said earlier? I don't want anyone's help. Not my father's, not yours! I need to do this on my own. What part of that don't you understand? I can't believe you have so little faith in me. I guess everything you said before was a lie. You clearly don't believe in me. I can't even look at you right now." Her eyes shone with hurt, which broke Arizona's heart. With that, Callie spun on her heel and walked away, hoping she could find some place private before she broke down completely.

"Calliope!" Arizona called after her, to no avail. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she slumped down in the nearest chair, head in her hands. She'd messed up big time. She needed to find a way to make things right. The question was how . . .


	18. Chapter 18

Title: All Bets Are Off 18/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

Callie fled from the poker room as quickly as she could, thoughts spiraling through her head a mile a minute. She was beyond upset. She knew she should be happy. She'd just won a substantial amount of money. She wouldn't have to worry about her finances for at least a little while. She'd made it – she'd had her first big win. Yet it left a bad taste in her mouth. It was tainted. Arizona hadn't had enough faith in her to let her do it on her own. Her girlfriend had exhibited about the same amount of faith in her as her father had – none. She shook her head. Okay, that wasn't exactly fair, but the level of betrayal felt the same. Completely out of sorts and unable to figure out what to do, she pulled out her phone and called Mark. After asking him to meet her at the bar, she made her way there.

While waiting for Mark to arrive, Callie quickly downed three shots of tequila before settling in with a rum and coke. If she couldn't stop the warring thoughts running through her head on her own, she'd have to douse them in alcohol until they shut the hell up. Today had ended up being one hell of a day. Such a high tainted by such a low. First her father, then Arizona. She shook her head and took another sip of her drink as she saw Mark heading towards her.

He slid into the chair opposite her, concern written across his face. "Hey, Cal. What's up? You sounded pretty messed up on the phone and judging by the look of you, that was a fair assessment on my part."

Callie sighed, struggling to figure out where to begin. "Well . . . you already know about the whole thing with my dad." Mark nodded, waiting for her to continue. She bit her lip as she struggled to put her thoughts into words. "Well, he stuck to his threat – he cleared out my bank accounts. I'm broke . . . was broke," she corrected. "I won a big tournament over at Caesar's today."

"Other than the fact that your dad is an unfeeling jerk, I'm not sure what the problem is. Where's Blondie, by the way?"

Callie smiled wanly. "Therein lies the problem . . ." She downed the rest of her drink and signaled to the waitress for another as she continued. "I've told you a little about my dad, how he was always there to make things easy for me. How I wanted to try my hand at poker without that safety net . . . wanted to try and make it on my own." She ran a hand through her hair, rehashing the day's events making her wounds sting all over again. "Well, I was pretty short on cash and knew that if I didn't do something soon, I'd have no chance at a poker career – it's kind of the nature of the game. You've got to have money to make money. So anyway, I entered the tournament and Arizona tagged along. Right before the tournament, my dad called and basically reminded me that I'd never done anything without his help, pushing me to come home."

"What did you do?" Mark asked.

"I told him that I'd already made my choice and hung up on him." She took another swig of her drink before continuing. "The call kind of threw me for a loop, but I somehow managed to focus. As luck would have it, Arizona and I ended up head's up at the end. Since it was a freeze out tournament, it meant I needed to win to get any money."

"And you did win. What's the issue?"

"Arizona threw the tournament." Callie fiddled with her drink as the heartache overwhelmed her again.

"She what? How do you know?" Mark was incredulous.

"Because she was practically giving away her chips. And then, she went all in with nothing, when I made quite clear from my bets that I had a pretty decent hand."

"I don't get it. Why wouldn't she just give you money? Why go to all that trouble?"

Callie looked at Mark sheepishly. "Maybe because I turned down her offer for help before the tournament."

"I would have done the same thing, Callie."

Callie shook her head. "I just want to do this on my own. I thought she understood that. I've always had help, always had someone there to back me up. I need to do this for me . . . but Arizona obviously didn't have any more faith in me than my father did."

"Now we both know that's not true. And sometimes, you need to remember that it's okay to lean on somebody, to ask for help. There's a difference between being independent and just being stubborn. Just because you might have needed a little help getting off the ground with this poker thing does not mean you're not doing it on your own. Hell, Callie. You made it to the final two all by yourself – Arizona had nothing to do with _that_. And this isn't the first tournament you've cashed in. Sounds to me like Blondie was just trying to help. Maybe she was a little misguided, but I think you're overreacting a bit."

Callie struggled to analyze what he'd just said. The fact that her emotions were a maelstrom of conflicting feelings and that fact that her drinking was starting to fog her brain made it difficult to figure out what to do, what to feel. Finally she shook her head. "Maybe you're right Mark, but right now, I can't think about it. All I know is that I feel like crap. And when I feel like crap, tequila is my friend. So do you want to hang out with me and my friend tequila?"

Mark sighed and shook his head, knowing that she was going to need someone to keep an eye on her tonight. Not exactly the night he'd planned, but he wanted to make sure his friend was okay. "Okay, if you're sure that's what you want. I think you should be talking to _her_ about this, not to me, but I'll hang with you tonight, if that's what you really want."

Callie nodded before reaching into her pocket to retrieve her ringing cell phone. Seeing that it was Arizona, she hit ignore before shutting it off. She couldn't deal with her tonight. She needed some time to process, to let her emotions and thoughts marinate. And right now, she wanted to marinate them in tequila.

Arizona took a few hours to collect her thoughts. She had gone to her park, to her bench, to process what had happened. On the way there, she'd stopped and bought a pack of cigarettes. She knew it was a filthy habit, but nothing else, except maybe donuts, made her feel better when she was stressed and knew she was in trouble. And she was definitely in trouble.

She blew out a long stream of smoke as she thought about the day's events. She'd thought she'd been doing the right thing. Callie had been unwilling to accept help, even when she so desperately needed it. Her girlfriend had a definite stubborn streak – something Arizona could appreciate since she was practically the Queen of Stubborn Land herself.

Arizona shook her head, thinking about the whole thing. Callie's reaction had surprised her. She'd expected that Callie might have been a little upset, but she hadn't be prepared for the level of fury she'd seen as Callie had stormed off. It didn't make sense.

Taking a moment to analyze what had happened, she suddenly saw the problem – the catalyst to Callie's overly sensitive reaction. The phone call from her father. He'd basically told his daughter that she was nothing without him. Then she, Arizona, had reinforced that notion – by letting Callie win, she'd unintentionally made Callie feel as though she felt the same way. That she'd felt that Callie was incapable of making it without help, without backup. Arizona sighed and ran a hand through her blonde curls. Stomping out her cigarette, she headed to the car. She'd really mucked things up. And there was only one thing to do – find Calliope and apologize until she couldn't see straight. She knew that her heart had been in the right place, but she'd struck a very raw nerve with her girlfriend and needed to make it right.

On her way back to her car, Arizona tried Callie's cell phone, but got no response. After leaving her a voicemail, she headed back to Caesar's, hoping that Callie was still around. After searching high and low to no avail, she let out a sigh and began to head out to her car. Just as she turned to leave, she happened to look into the bar and saw Callie standing there with Mark.

By this point, Callie had made good friends with the bottle of tequila. Mark, who had sensed that Callie would need a designated driver that night, had been sipping water all evening. After downing her last drink, Mark stood and motioned for her to get up as well. "I think it's time we got you home, Torres."

Callie, who was beyond tipsy, stumbled and fell into Mark's arms, wrapping her own around his shoulders. Smiling up at him, she slurred "finnnne, but we have to go to your housssse. I'm a homeless bum and need a place to stay."

Holding Callie upright, Mark shook his head. "Well, you do stink like a bum at the moment, Torres. I can smell the tequila a mile away. Let's get you out of here."

"That'ssss not fuunnny, Mark." Callie said as she swatted at his arm playfully.

Mark rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her from the bar.

Arizona had been about to head into the bar to talk Callie when her heart dropped. Callie snaked her arms around Mark's neck and seemed to be smiling and flirting with him. After a few moments, he wrapped a possessive arm around her waist and they left.

How could she have been so stupid, so blind? She should have known better than to date a newborn. The first sign of trouble and Callie went running back into the arms of a man. Knowing that she was dangerously close to a breakdown, Arizona quickly dialed Teddy.

"Hey, Teddy it's me."

"Hey, Arizona, what's up?"

"Can you meet me at my house in 30 minutes? I need you to talk me down." Arizona let out a defeated sigh.

"Sure thing," Teddy agreed.

"Thanks, Teddy. Oh . . . and bring donuts."

Teddy chuckled and hung up.

Half an hour later, she was at Arizona's door, donuts in hand.

Arizona smiled weakly and took the proffered donuts, stepping aside to let Teddy in. "Thanks for coming by."

"Hey, what are friends for? And if you need donuts, I know it's serious." Teddy smiled and headed to the living room, Arizona following behind her. After they'd taken a seat, Teddy grabbed a donut and leaned back into her chair. "So what's up? Why the emergency donut run?"

"Callie and I had a fight."

Teddy nodded. "And?"

Arizona let out an exasperated sigh. "Her father cut her off without a penny because she chose to stay here and play poker and because she chose to date a woman."

"Sounds like a jerk."

Arizona nodded. "I'm sure he's just in shock – it's a lot to take in. Maybe he'll come around. But yeah, not exactly the most supportive thing to do."

"So where does this fight come in?"

"Well, Callie needed money, so she entered that freeze out tournament at Caesar's. She wouldn't let me help her – said she needed to do this on her own. So, somehow, it ends up with the two of us, head's up. And I may have sort of let her win . . . you know, so she'd have the money to keep her poker career going."

"Arizona . . . " Teddy chastised her.

"I know, I know. Not exactly the best idea, since she's got this thing about making it on her own. And I could have been better about hiding what I was doing. But I didn't really have time to think it through, I just kind of went with my gut. But she still totally overreacted."

"I don't know, I can see where she's coming from Arizona. It probably really hurt her that you didn't have faith in her to win it fair and square." Teddy said.

Arizona nodded. "I know . . . and I was on my way to apologize, but . . ." She paused as she relived the image of Callie in Mark's arms. It made her want to throw up.

"But what?" Teddy asked, urging her on.

"When I finally found her, she was practically throwing herself at Mark Sloan. Then he put his arm around her and they left." She shook her head. A single tear rolled down her face. "Just when I think I might have found the one, it's Joanne all over again."

Teddy got up and sat next to Arizona on the couch, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hey. You don't know that for sure. Just because Joanne decided that her relationship with you, with a woman, was just an experiment, doesn't mean that Callie's doing the same thing. Did you actually see her kiss him or anything?"

Arizona shook her head, wiping her face. "No."

"I don't know Callie that well yet, but she's seems pretty into you. I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions. I never got the impression that she and Mark were anything more than friends. And trust me, if Mark thought that there were any chance with her, he'd have made it known already."

"Maybe you're right," Arizona whispered, not wanting to believe that Callie was capable of turning off her feelings that quickly.

"I think you two should be talking about these things together. You know, your whole insecurity about her heterosexual past. Her daddy issues. You need to really communicate – not just jump to conclusions. But then again, what do I know? My love life is a disaster."

Arizona chuckled lightly, feeling a bit better about the whole situation. "Thanks, Teddy. I can always count on you to be the rational one when I go all crazy."

"So are you going to talk to her?" Teddy asked.

"Yeah, but not tonight. It's late. I look like a disaster. I'm going to give her a few more hours to cool down. I'll talk to her in the morning. Any interest in a chick flick and some more of these donuts?"

"Always," Teddy replied.

The next morning, Arizona headed over to Mark's place, figuring that if Callie hadn't ended up back at her place, his house was the next logical location. Arizona knocked on the door several times, waiting, hoping for an answer. Finally, after she had knocked a second time, Mark answered, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

"Blondie." He said, a surprised look on his face. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah, Mark. Is Cal . . ." Arizona's question was cut off by Callie, who walked out of the bedroom at that moment, wearing nothing but a sheet.

"Mark, do you have some . . . " Callie stopped mid-sentence as she saw Arizona standing in the doorway with a look of heartbreak and shock on her face.

"I'm sorry. I have to go," Arizona whispered before turning on her heel and practically running to the car. Tears spilled down her cheeks without abandon. She had been right after all. She shook her head as she struggled to find her keys in her purse. Why could she never find the damn things when she needed them? Boy could she pick them. She'd only really truly fallen for two women in her life and both of them had gone back to men. She should just give love up and enter a nunnery or something. And Teddy thought her love life was a disaster.

Callie's heart sank as the realization of what Arizona thought had happened between her and Mark washed over her. She looked up at Mark with pleading eyes. "Mark, what do I do? I can't lose her."

"Then you'd better run and catch her before she goes. Blondie's last serious girl, Joanne, left her for a man. So this right here . . ." He signaled between them, indicating their state of undress. "It's gonna push all the right buttons with her. So run. Don't let her get away."

Just as Arizona located her keys, she felt a staying hand on her arm. Looking up, she saw her almost naked girlfriend standing before her in that damned sheet. Callie looked at her with pleading eyes. "Arizona. Don't . . ."

A/N: Yes, more drama/angst. I know, I know, where's the fluff? It's coming. But I've got to keep you on your toes. And don't worry – nothing happened with Mark. With all that's going on the "real" Grey's world, I'm not touching that plot device with a ten foot pole.


	19. Chapter 19

Title: All Bets Are Off 19/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

"Then you'd better run and catch her before she goes. Blondie's last serious girl, Joanne, left her for a man. So this right here . . ." He signaled between them, indicating their state of undress. "It's gonna push all the right buttons with her. So run. Don't let her get away."

Just as Arizona located her keys, she felt a staying hand on her arm. Looking up, she saw her almost naked girlfriend standing before her in that damned sheet. Callie looked at her with pleading eyes. "Arizona. Don't . . ." Callie sighed deeply before continuing. "Please don't run away. This isn't what it looks like." She struggled to focus, a pounding headache fogging her brain. Clearly she and tequila weren't on quite as friendly terms as she'd thought.

Arizona looked up at Callie with sadness and defeat etched across her face. "I think it's exactly what it looks like. Today – you, naked in Mark's house. Last night – you, throwing yourself at him. What else am I supposed to believe?"

Callie wracked her brain, trying to figure out exactly what Arizona meant about the night before. Unfortunately, a decent portion of the evening was a blur. She remembered her talk with Mark . . . and then lots of tequila.

"Please, Arizona. Just come inside. I'm standing out here, practically naked, begging you to listen. Please just hear me out?"

"Well, you wouldn't be out here, practically naked, as you put it, if you and Mark . . ."

"Arizona!" Callie reached out to grab her girlfriend by both shoulders, only to quickly realize that nothing else was holding her sheet up. Catching it just before it fell, giving the entire block a show, she continued. "Just come inside."

Arizona sighed in resignation. Even though she was devastated, angry and hurt beyond belief, she was incapable of saying no to this woman. "Fine." She followed Callie inside Mark's house.

By this time, Mark had thrown on some clothes. "Ladies, I'm going to head out, give you two some privacy." He then turned and looked Arizona directly in the eye, a serious and sincere look on his face. "And Arizona. Please trust me. More importantly, trust Callie. Nothing happened between us. All she talks about is you. It's rather sickening. Even if I wanted to go there, I wouldn't stand a chance. No one did from the moment she met you. So let her talk." With that, he headed out the door.

Callie motioned for Arizona to have a seat. "Please. Don't run away. I'll be right back."

Arizona nodded and let out a weary sigh as Callie headed back into Mark's bedroom. Doubts started entering her mind. Maybe she'd called it wrong. Mark had looked sincere and Callie seemed broken up over her reaction. And despite all his man-whorish tendencies, she'd never known Mark to lie about his escapades.

Callie returned, wearing what looked like one of Mark's t-shirts and a pair of boxers. In her hand, she held some clothing. "Look at this." She held up what looked like her outfit from the day before, which was clearly stained with something.

Arizona gave her a look of confusion.

A sheepish half-smile crept across Callie's face. "Last night may not have been a night that I'm proud of. But I didn't do anything inappropriate with Mark. I was upset. So I drank. A lot. Mark stayed with me and made sure I didn't get into trouble. Like a _friend_ should." Callie emphasized the word friend, hoping Arizona would understand. "He brought me back here and slept on the couch. I woke up this morning and . . . let's just say I obviously didn't make it to the bathroom last night. I got sick all over my clothes and then apparently slept in them. I'm a hot mess. So don't worry, after last night – Mark's never going to let me in his bed ever again, in any way, shape or form. When you got here this morning, I was coming out to ask him for some clean clothes to borrow. That's it. Please believe me."

Arizona looked up into Callie's deep brown eyes and saw the raw emotion, the desperate need, the insecurity. In that moment, she knew that she'd been an idiot.

"I believe you." Arizona whispered, looking down at her hands. "This is hard for me. Teddy tells me that I need to open up, to talk to you about the things that bother me, that make me insecure instead of jumping to conclusions. It's just not something I'm used to doing. I was raised in a military family, taught to suppress my emotions, to always be strong. But sometimes, I'm finding, that tactic comes around to bite me in the ass." She looked up, unfallen tears glazing her eyes.

Callie walked over and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "I know it's hard. It's hard for me too. I think we just need to realize that as scary as this whole communication thing is, it would be scarier, at least for me, to lose you for good. I know I'm cautious – the times I've opened myself up to people, left myself bare and vulnerable, I've gotten hurt. And it sounds like you have too."

Arizona nodded. "Joanne." She didn't say anything else for a while and Callie just held her in silence, allowing her time to process her thoughts. Finally, snuggling her chin closer into the crook of Callie's strong shoulder, she continued. "I thought I might have loved her. Things were going really well. We had a lot in common, she made me laugh . . . but like you, she was new to the whole dating women thing. We'd been together a few months when she started acting weird. I shrugged it off. First of all, like I've just proven to you, talking about feelings isn't exactly my strong suit. So I avoided it. Was happy living in willful ignorance. Secondly, I thought it was just a phase, that whatever was bothering her would go away. Instead, I walked in to find her in bed with her ex-boyfriend. She apologized and said that she and I had been a mistake. She left me for him. It took me a long time to get over that betrayal. And I guess maybe it's made me a little oversensitive and that's probably why I overreacted the way I did." She pulled away slightly and smiled weakly at Callie. "I'm sorry that I didn't trust you. It wasn't fair to you to project my own insecurities onto you."

Callie leaned in and placed a quick, gentle kiss on Arizona's lips. "It's okay. I think we've both got some apologizing to do. I just want to let you know that I'm in this with my whole heart, Arizona. If I'd been looking for an easy out, my father offered me a perfect one the other day. It would have been very simple to just leave and go back to Miami if I were having second thoughts. Instead, there's only one constant thought that runs through my head. You want to know what that is?" Arizona nodded. Callie smiled and continued. "How glad I am that I'm not single anymore. How happy I am to have found you . . . Moron." Callie smirked before drawing Arizona in for another kiss.

Arizona smiled and locked her baby blues on Callie's eyes. "So I'm the crazy one in this relationship?"

"Just today. Tomorrow, I'll be crazy," Callie offered. Arizona chuckled.

"Thank you," Arizona whispered before they crashed their lips together once more, both silently rejoicing at their reunion.

Callie smirked as they pulled apart. "And actually, to be fair, yesterday I was the crazy one. So I should apologize for how I reacted after the tournament."

Arizona shook her head. "No, wait Calliope. I'm sorry for doing what I did. I did it with the best intentions, but I understand how it must have made you feel. Please believe me when I say that I have the utmost faith in you and your abilities. I was just worried that with the turn of one bad card, you'd be broke and I'd have been the one to do it to you."

Callie squeezed Arizona's arm reassuringly. "It's okay, really. Mark kindly pointed out to me how stubborn I was being, how it's okay to lean on people once in a while. And I overreacted. I think my dad's phone call just set me off. It hurts to know that he has so little faith in me."

Arizona reached up and caressed Callie's cheek, her blue eyes piercing Callie's. "You are an amazing, competent, strong woman, Calliope Torres. And he's blind if he doesn't see that."

Callie pulled Arizona in for a deep, long, emotional hug. "Thank you," she whispered into her girlfriend's hair. "I promise to talk to you more, to try and freak out less."

Arizona pulled back so she could meet Callie's gaze. "I promise the same thing, because Calliope, as crazy as I am, as crazy as you are, there's one thing I know. I'm crazy _about_ you. I love you."

"I love you too," Callie smiled, relieved that they'd cleared the air.

"I promise you one other thing, Calliope," Arizona began, a smirk playing across her face.

"What's that?"

"If I ever find myself head's up against you again. I promise to kick your ass."

Callie chuckled. "Oh really? I'll guess we'll just have to wait and see, Ms. Overconfidence." She was so, so relieved that they'd worked things out. Callie pulled Arizona in for another hug, savoring her unique citrusy smell. "I love the way you smell. Like oranges . . . but hotter."

Arizona laughed and pulled away. "I love the way you smell too, Calliope . . . usually. But right now, you kinda smell like I imagine it would smell if tequila and vomit had a baby. Let's get you into the shower and cleaned up."

"Hey! That's not nice, babe!" Callie protested, a smile spreading across her face.

"Oh, I guess you'll just have to deal with it, Calliope. You know, this whole being open and honest with each other thing. Besides, I thought you might need some help making sure you're nice and clean . . ." Arizona's words trailed off as she made her intentions crystal clear.

Callie's mouth ran dry, any sign of her hangover suddenly gone. "You wouldn't. Defile Mark's shower?"

Arizona laughed again and dragged her from the room. "I'm sure Mark's defiled plenty of worse places than that. Besides, what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Callie smirked. "Somehow, I think if Mark ever figured out that girl-on-girl action had taken place in his very own bathroom and that he hadn't been there to witness it, it might kill him. So probably best not to tell him."

Callie let Arizona lead her to the bathroom, their clothes flying every which way in the process. After turning on the shower, Callie entered and immediately groaned at the pleasurable experience of the warm, soothing water and Arizona's body pressed up against her own. Arizona began trailing wet, gentle kisses along her back, her taut nipples grazing against her back and teasing Callie's skin. Unable to contain herself any longer, Callie spun Arizona in her arms, pressing her up against the shower wall, while she blazed a trail of hot kisses along her collarbone and neck.

She bent lower, capturing Arizona's nipple in her mouth, suckling it gently. Arizona gasped in pleasure, closing her eyes and arching her back to grant Callie as much access as possible. Callie gently massaged her with her tongue, sending sparks directly down to Arizona's already fiery loins. Arizona tangled her hands through Callie's wet locks and let out a low moan, the sensations overwhelming her. Callie stood back up and attacked Arizona's mouth, her tongue penetrating Arizona's lips, swirling, fighting for control. In the same instant, Callie's hand snaked between her girlfriend's thighs, quickly parting her slickened folds and entering her.

"Oh, God, Calliope . . ." Arizona rasped as Callie began to build a rhythm. Arizona could barely contain herself as she immediately felt the beginnings of her orgasm begin to build. There was something about Calliope that had her constantly on edge, ready to come at a moment's notice. Callie was like walking foreplay.

Callie watched her girlfriend intently as she continued to pump in and out of her. Arizona bit down on her lip as she attempted to stifle the latest in a stream of incredibly sexy moans. Callie loved watching Arizona writhe in passion. She was beautiful all the time, but she was absolutely breathtaking when she let herself go, when she let herself succumb to the raw passion of their lovemaking.

Arizona's hips began to buck wildly as she rode Callie's hand to her inevitable conclusion. Callie reached down and wrapped one of Arizona's legs around her waist, driving her fingers even deeper into her girlfriend as her climax drew near. At the same time, Callie began to grind her center against Arizona's thigh, desperately needing some friction to bring her own relief.

From the look on Arizona's face and her increasingly frequent use of curse words, Callie knew Arizona's time was near. She began to circle Arizona's clit with her thumb, eager to see that expression of unabashed pleasure and joy rip through her girlfriend's body.

As Callie added her thumb, Arizona felt her body begin its climb to orgasm. "Mmmm . . . oh, Calliope. I'm so close . . . fuck, baby. Please, fuck me . . . fuck me . . . fuuuucckk . . ." Her body shuddered and quaked as her release coursed through her, sparks appearing before her eyes, jolt after jolt of pleasure running through her. Callie smiled as she felt Arizona's muscles constrict around her, continuing her movements until she felt Arizona's body go limp against her own.

Callie held Arizona up for a few moments while she came down from her high, gently kissing every inch of the blonde's perfect, beautiful skin.

Once she'd regained her strength, Arizona wasted no time kissing her way down Callie's breasts and stomach, only one destination in mind. She doubted it would take much to send Callie over the edge, and judging by Callie's light pressure on her shoulders, pressing her downwards towards her center, Arizona figured they were on the same wavelength.

Arizona gently parted Callie's moistened folds before dipping her tongue in, gently sampling and savoring the unique taste of her girlfriend's arousal. Teasing her tongue around, licking up and down Callie's slit, she stroked slowly and sensuously. Callie, frustrated and ready for release, groaned. "Arizona . . . please," she urged before threading her hands through the wet blonde locks and pushing Arizona further into her core.

Getting the hint, Arizona lightly traced a circular pattern around Callie's bundle of nerves, before swiftly entering her with two fingers. Judging by her girlfriend's vocalizations, Arizona knew her actions were successful. Sensing Callie's need to deepen the penetration, Arizona gently lifted one of Callie's legs over her shoulder, allowing her to enter her more fully. At that same time, she took Callie's engorged clit in her mouth, swirling her tongue around it. Callie's body began to shake as her climax neared.

Arizona added another finger and increased her pace, Callie's hips rocking to meet her hand. Their rhythem quickened and one last swipe of Arizona's tongue sent Callie plunging into the abyss, her tunnel contracting around Arizona's fingers as white hot pleasure coursed through her body. Arizona reached up and placed a steadying hand on Callie's hip as the pleasurable tremors wracked her body. Finally, Arizona felt Callie's breathing slow and she rose to kiss her girlfriend.

Callie smiled into the kiss as she tasted herself on Arizona's lips. They both stood there under the running water, bodies entwined in a silent, passionate embrace, as they recovered from their tryst. No words were said, but the overwhelming aura of love and relief was hard to miss.

After they'd finished "cleaning" up Callie, they headed back to Arizona's house to change, eager to hit the poker rooms. Arizona waited patiently in the living room as Callie selected some new clothes. After a few minutes she emerged, clad in what had become her signature leather jacket and aviators, with a shirt whose plunging neckline left little the imagination.

Arizona's eyes glazed over, pure unmitigated lust washing over her face. She swallowed hard and let out a barely audible whisper. "Forget poker. You. Me. Those aviators. That jacket. Bedroom. Now . . ."


	20. Chapter 20

Title: All Bets Are Off 20/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

The next day, Arizona's alarm brought them out of their warm, comfortable cocoon. Arizona shot bolt upright, disheveled and disoriented as she attempted to locate the offending device. Callie groaned, silently cursing the blasted alarm, which had awoken them way too early. After being up nearly all night with her girlfriend, she was running decidedly short on beauty rest. However, given the ways Arizona had found to keep her occupied last night, Callie figured it best to let it slide. She rolled over and smiled as she watched her sleepy-eyed, yet incredibly sexy girlfriend practically maul the alarm, attempting to silence it.

Despite enjoying the adorable scene before her, Callie was not happy with being roused after so little sleep. "Why is your alarm going off at 8 the morning? We just got to sleep a few hours ago. Not that I'm complaining . . ." Callie chuckled as she pulled Arizona against her, the blonde having finally quieted the noise.

Arizona smiled and kissed Callie gently before pulling back. "Because, unfortunately for me, I've been hired to teach at this poker camp for beginning players. It will undoubtedly be a long, boring day, but I like to do this kind of thing on occasion. Usually with a little more sleep, granted . . ." She kissed Callie again and smiled into the kiss. "Anyway, you stay here, sleep in. I'll see you later today or tonight."

"But I wanted to spend the day with my hot girlfriend." Callie grumbled.

"Sorry, baby. But I can't bail on this now." Arizona rose from the bed.

"What if I came? Can I still sign up?"

Arizona turned and looked at Callie in question. "Seriously, Calliope? It'll be about as interesting as watching paint dry. These people are absolute beginners."

"Yeah, but you're forgetting one important thing."

"What's that?"

"I have it on good authority that one of the instructors is really, really sexy. And maybe I want to indulge in a hot for teacher fantasy." Callie smiled flirtatiously, reaching up to pull Arizona back down on the bed, the blonde rolling on top of her.

Arizona chuckled. "Who knew you had such fantasies? I'll have to tell Teddy you feel that way about her. "

"What?" Callie asked, confused.

"She's teaching too."

"Funny, Arizona. Now come here and kiss me. Give me a few private lessons before we head to class." Callie pulled Arizona's head down, capturing Arizona's lips in a passionate, deep kiss, their tongues melding together with promises of more to come.

Arizona groaned low in her throat before pulling back. "We can't do this now, Calliope," she rasped. "I'm going to be late if I don't leave in the next 10 minutes. And so will you, if you're really coming with me."

"Fine." Callie pouted. "But you're in trouble."

Arizona laughed and got up. "Oh really? What exactly did I do?"

"You're all gorgeous and sexy and breathtaking and stuff and you won't let me have you. So now, I'm going to be sitting in that class all day thinking about all the ways I'm going to punish you for getting me worked up this morning."

Arizona chuckled again as she headed to the bathroom. "Sorry, Calliope. I can't help it if I'm irresistible."

Callie rolled her eyes and rose to get dressed.

By the time they arrived at the class, Callie had decided she was going to have fun with the whole situation. There was something incredibly hot about pretending that she and Arizona were complete strangers, that she was here simply to learn with the other beginners. Knowing that she got to take the instructor home at the end of the day, that she'd get to steal secret glances, maybe even a few secret touches, set her nerve endings on fire.

After registering, Callie took a seat fairly near the table where Arizona was sitting, so she could, you know, make sure she had a good view of the presentation . . . and maybe a certain presenter.

Teddy began the day by explaining the basics of poker. This gave Arizona ample opportunity to sit back and eye a certain sexy woman a few feet away.

Arizona was only half-paying attention to what Teddy was saying, most of her thoughts straying about as far away from poker as you could get. Teddy was currently explaining the different hands that one could get in poker, when Arizona noticed a mischievous smirk play across Callie's face.

"A pair is the weakest hand that you can have in poker, other than having nothing at all. It's exactly what it sounds like. Two of any card," Teddy explained.

At that moment, Arizona felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, indicating that she had a text message. Since she wasn't speaking, Arizona surreptitiously pulled out her phone to see what the message was. It was from Callie.

_I think we make quite a pair. Wouldn't you agree? I know you do, judging by the number of times you screamed my name last night. – C._

Arizona did everything in her power to suppress the gasp of surprise that threatened to escape her lips. Deciding that looking at Callie would only make things worse, she turned towards Teddy, intent on paying attention to her friend's instruction.

"The next best hand you can have after a pair, is two pair. Which is, again, what it sounds like. Two different pairs of matching cards," Teddy explained as she motioned to the presentation screen.

Arizona's phone buzzed again. Unable to resist, she read the message.

_You know what my two favorite parts of your body are? I'll give you a hint. They're both pairs. I love your 'two pair.' Your eyes, because they're so deep and soulful and beautiful. And your boobs. 'Cause, well . . . they're good boobs. – C._

Arizona swallowed hard and tried to keep her breathing even. Callie was going to be the death of her.

Teddy continued. "The next best hand is three of a kind, otherwise known as a set or trips. It's having three of the same card, like having 3 kings."

Arizona's phone indicated a new message.

_A set, huh? You know what else is set? My mind. Completely set on taking you home and having my way with you. Over and over and over again. –C._

Arizona ran a hand through her hair and silently prayed no one was noticing the flush that she felt creeping across her chest. She didn't even bother putting her phone away, Calliope's intent to continue teasing her becoming quite apparent.

"After a set, you have a straight. This is five cards in consecutive order, such as 3,4,5,6,7," Teddy explained patiently.

At this point, giving in to the game, Arizona was ready and eager to read Callie's next text.

_I'm not sure why I ever thought I was straight. The things you do to me, the way just one look at you makes me completely wet. Yeah, I'm anything but straight. – C._

Arizona had to bite her lip to keep her emotions in check, struggling to appear relaxed and attentive to Teddy's lecture.

"Next up is the flush. This is 5 cards of the same suit."

The phone buzzed again. Arizona took a deep breath before reading it.

_You're looking a little flushed, babe. Did something I say get you all hot and bothered? Don't let yourself get too worked up today, because you're going to need your stamina for tonight. And I'll get to see that special kind of flush you get when you're naked, sweaty, and writhing beneath my body. – C._

Finally, unable to take it any longer, Arizona looked up and locked gazes with the cause of her current state of disconcertion. Callie was eyeing her with a look of pure, unmitigated, undisguised lust. Anyone in the room who happened to see the way the two women were looking at each other would have no trouble discerning the decidedly dirty direction of their thoughts. However, Arizona was thankful to notice that everyone seemed to be paying attention to Teddy and not to the silent game of flirtation that her girlfriend had engaged her in.

"After the flush, we have the full house, which is two of one kind of card and three of another. For instance, having two 7s and three jacks," Teddy explained, completely unaware of the dirty game going on just a few feet away from her.

Arizona's phone signaled a new message.

_You're lucky there's a full house in this room, Arizona. That's the only thing stopping me from taking you up against the nearest wall or on the floor or against the podium and having my way with you. In fact, these poker tables seem like a good place. We could break them in . . . just like we did yours . . . by fucking each other senseless. –C._

Arizona gasped at the message, silently praying that no one had heard her. Looking up into Callie's lust-darkened eyes and seeing the satisfied smirk playing across her lips, there was no doubt in Arizona's mind that Callie had noticed.

"After the full house comes four of a kind, which is what it sounds like. 4 of the same card. 4 Aces, for example."

Arizona looked down at her next text.

_Four of a kind. Four's a nice number. After all, it is the number of times you came last night. Maybe this time, we'll go for five . . . or six . . . or maybe even lucky number seven. Up for it? Of course you are. –C._

At this point, Arizona's composure was hanging on by a thread . . . a very thin . . . very frayed thread. And Callie was threatening to sever it at any moment. Arizona realized that there was only one thing to do. Get even.

Teddy was finishing up with the last few descriptions of hands and was about to move on to some other poker terminology. Knowing what was coming next in the presentation, unlike Callie, Arizona swiftly typed out a message, ready to send as soon as Teddy began her next description.

"You have several options when you first get dealt a hand in poker. The first option is to fold. This means, if you don't like your hand, you can throw it away without putting any money in," Teddy explained.

_Two can play at this game, Calliope. Are you ready to fold? Didn't think so. Which is good, because I happen to like folds. Yours in particular. Especially when they're wet and ready for me. Like I'm sure they are right now. –A._

Arizona eyed her girlfriend as the first text went through. She could tell the moment her words had sunk in, as Callie's self-satisfied grin fell, replaced by a look of sensual disquietude.

When the text came through, Callie was caught off guard. She'd been having fun . . . too much fun, in fact, watching Arizona get all hot and bothered and struggling to keep her composure. But she'd underestimated her prey. Arizona had just turned the tables. And it was damned hot.

"The next option you have is to bet. This is where you place additional money into the pot, usually indicating that you have a good hand."

Callie's phone vibrated in her hands.

_I'll bet that you're not thinking about poker right now. I'll bet that all you can think about is me and the number of different ways I'm going to make you come tonight. I'll bet you're really wet. Already. – A._

Callie let out a sigh. Well, her girlfriend had called that one right.

"There are two special forced bets in the first round of each hand. They are called blinds. These bets rotate around the table and basically force players to put money in. That way, there are no hands played where there's no money in the pot," Teddy said.

Callie swallowed hard as she braced herself for Arizona's next message.

_You'd have to be blind, completely and utterly blind to not see how hot, how attractive, how fucking sexy my girlfriend is. Just one look at you and I'm ready to go ten rounds with you. It's taking all my willpower not to touch myself, right here in front of all these people, just because I'm looking at you. – A._

Callie squeezed her legs together, silently willing herself to remain calm, to cool down. Little good it did her.

"If you're in the blind and no one has bet additional money, you have another option, which is to check, meaning that you don't want to add any additional money," Teddy explained.

Off the phone went.

_You might want to 'check' your panties. My guess, they're soaked. I know mine are. – A._

Callie ran a shaking hand through her raven locks..

"The player to the left of the small blind is called the dealer. This player is signified by a plastic dealer button." Teddy held up a circular disc with the word dealer printed across it. "So often times, this position at the table is simply called the button."

Callie closed her eyes briefly and steadied her breathing, both dreading and anticipating Arizona's next tease.

_There's only one button that I'm interested in. And it resides between your legs. Tonight, I'm going to take it in my mouth and tease it, suck it, until you come so hard you scream for mercy. – A._

It took every last ounce of Callie's strength to suppress the moan that wanted so badly to escape her lips. Finally, feeling adventurous, she looked up at her girlfriend, gazing directly into her beautiful blue eyes. The look of pure lust on Arizona's face did nothing to quiet the fire raging between Callie's legs. After a few moments of sensuous gazes, she turned her attention back to Teddy.

"One of the most important things to learn in the game of poker is the importance of your position relative to the button. The closer you are to being the button, the more power you have." Teddy then continued to lecture for a moment on what she meant, but Callie heard not a word, as Arizona's text came through.

_Position is important. You want to know my favorite position? Me on top of you, as your body shudders, trembles, beneath my touch, as I fuck you into oblivion. – A._

Callie thought for a few moments about literally finding something to fan herself with. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so hot, both literally and figuratively.

"There are generally two types of poker players," Teddy continued. "Loose players, who play a lot of hands, who are less selective about what hands they'll play. Then there are tight players. Those who play only the best hands, who fold many sub-par cards."

Callie shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she awaited Arizona's text.

_Lucky for me, you seem to be a pretty loose woman. At least with me. I like the fact that you're anything but shy in the bedroom. And I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of your tight hole spasming around my fingers. A feeling I hope to enjoy again and again. And very soon. – A._

Just as Callie thought she'd lose it completely, Arizona rose to head to the podium.

"And now, Arizona is going to talk about the various betting rounds and pot odds," Teddy announced.

It was apparently her turn to speak, but not before she sent one more text.

_Yeah, time for me to talk. I think about pot odds. How I'm going to focus, when all I can think about is me between your thighs, I don't know. But I do know one thing. Odds are, we're both getting lucky. Very, very lucky, later today. – A._

Callie and Arizona continued their game of cat and mouse throughout the rest of the day. At one point, Arizona, Teddy, and the other instructors each set up at a different poker table and each took a group of students to play some practice hands. Callie made sure to sit next to Arizona and to surreptitiously touch her in all sorts of inappropriate and suggestive ways beneath the table. Arizona struggled, because the only hands she could think about had nothing to do with poker, but rather were the ones playing not so subtly across her lap.

Finally, the day came to an end. Arizona practically dragged Callie from the room, before pulling her into a secluded corner.

"Calliope, you and I are getting out of here right now. You've been a very, _very_ naughty girl and this teacher is not going to stand for it. It's time to punish you . . . "


	21. Chapter 21

Title: All Bets Are Off 21/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: I don't really know much about the geography/locations in and around Vegas, so sorry if I get anything wrong. I tried to make it kind of vague.

A/N2: This chapter is dedicated to a friend of mine, you know who you are, who cracks me up on a daily basis. Hope this makes your day.

Finally, the day came to an end. Arizona practically dragged Callie from the room, before pulling her into a secluded corner.

"Calliope, you and I are getting out of here right now. You've been a very, _very_ naughty girl and this teacher is not going to stand for it. It's time to punish you . . . "

Callie chuckled and arched her eyebrow. "Oh really? Because, teacher dear, if you recall, you gave as good as you got. So I'm not sure you're really in any position to be disciplining anyone."

Arizona smiled, her dimples on full display. "Okay, then. Either way, we'd better get out of here, because I'm about 5 seconds away from ripping your clothes off right here. And the other students might get upset if they see that I'm giving the teacher's pet special treatment."

Callie grinned. "It's not my fault if they're not up to your rigorous standards of awesomeness like I am. Anyway, I've got a surprise for you, but it's going to take a little while to set up. Can I meet you back at your house in an hour or two?"

Arizona looked at her with interest. "A surprise, huh? What is it?"

Callie shook her head. "You don't really expect me to tell you, do you? After you kept the entirety of our date the other day a secret? I don't think so, Ms. Robbins."

Arizona leaned against Callie's body, immediately sending jolts of white hot pleasure shooting through her, and looked up with puppy dog eyes at her girlfriend. "Please, Calliope? You know you want to tell me." Arizona lazily drew patterns across the exposed skin at Callie's neck with her fingers, sending chills throughout Callie's body.

Callie chuckled and pulled back. "You may be hot, Arizona Robbins . . . ridiculously hot, but I am not _that_ easy. Now take that hot ass of yours home and I'll see you soon."

Arizona let out a sigh and grumbled. "Not fair. This better be good, Calliope. You get me all worked up and then make me wait even longer. I believe the word tease has been thrown around. Right now, I'd say _you_ are definitely the tease."

"But you love it," Callie smirked.

"Yeah . . .," Arizona sighed. "I do." Arizona shot her dimples at her girlfriend before heading to her car.

Arizona sat impatiently in her living room, checking her phone and peering out her window every few seconds, anxious to see what Callie had planned. She wasn't even sure how Callie was getting home, since they'd ridden to the poker class together. She sighed and began to pace back and forth across the room. She was anxious beyond belief. She hated surprises. She hated the unknown. She'd often joked that patience was a virtue that she didn't have. That was certainly true at the moment.

She was impatient not only because she wanted to know what Callie had up her sleeve, but also because, well, after their incredibly hot sexting session during the day, she'd been in a constant state of arousal. She'd even briefly entertained the idea of taking care of that problem herself while she waited, being hot and bothered beyond belief, but decided that the added anticipation would make the inevitable and ultimate conclusion to their day together even more epic.

Finally deciding that she needed to distract herself, Arizona dialed a familiar phone number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, mom," Arizona replied.

"Hey, sweetie? What's up? You've been unusually quiet lately. I haven't heard from you in ages."

Arizona let out a contented sigh before continuing. "I met her mom."

"Met who, sweetie?"

"The one." Arizona couldn't help but grin, revealing her trademark dimples, as she finally admitted what she'd probably known deep down since the day she first laid eyes on Callie.

"The one? As in the one and only person for you?"

"Yep."

"Ari, that's fantastic. I was starting to worry this day would never come! Tell me about her," her mother urged.

"She's perfect, Mom. Her name is Calliope . . . Callie for short, and she's new to Vegas. Just moved here from Miami. She plays poker too and she's gorgeous, I mean takes my breath away. And she's smart and funny and goofy and warm and caring and makes me smile. I can't stop thinking about her. It's really wrecking my poker game!" Arizona paused to catch her breath.

Her mom chuckled. "You're rambling, honey. Now I know it must be serious. She sounds like quite a catch. And I take it she's as smitten as you are?"

"Yes. At least that's the impression I get. I was a little worried . . . I'm the first woman she's been with, but she's left me with little doubt that she's in this for the long haul."

Her mother paused, letting silence hang between them for a minute. "I'm really happy for you, sweetie, but you know, as your mother, I have to ask. This isn't another Joanne all over again is it?"

Arizona shook her head before realizing her mom wouldn't see the gesture through the phone. "No. I was obviously sensitive to that issue, but she's not like that. In fact, she already gave up a lot to be with me."

"What do you mean?"

"Her family is very religious and when her father found out that she was dating a woman, he insisted she move back home to Miami. When she refused, he threatened to cut her off without a dime – her family is very wealthy. She still stayed, Mom. For me . . . and for herself. She wants to make this poker thing work, she wants to make us work. And I'm so proud of her She gave up her entire life, Mom.

"She sounds like a strong, admirable woman. And if you trust her, then so do I."

"I do trust her, Mom. I trust her with my heart. More importantly, I love her. I love her so, so much." A warm smile played across Arizona's lips as she admitted this to her mother. Never before, not even with Joanne, had she told her mother that she'd been in love.

"Well, then . . . " Her mother paused, taking in the full effect of Arizona's admission. "That's good enough for your father and me. When do we get to meet her?"

"I'll have to talk to Calliope, see when our schedules are free. We're a bit busy with the World Series and it might not be possible to fit in a trip to see you in San Diego right away."

"That's fine, sweetie. Just keep us posted. I am so happy for you, Arizona. And please send my love to your Calliope. With what's going on with her family, it sounds like she can use all the love and support she can get."

"Thanks, Mom. I will. Not everyone is as lucky as I am to have such caring, understanding, totally awesome parents."

Her mother laughed. "Okay, sweetie. I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye, Mom."

Arizona grinned as she hung up the phone. Somehow, admitting her feelings to someone other than Callie, especially to her parents, made them seem all the more real. Maybe they could sneak away for a few days, relax away from the bright lights of Vegas, meet her family. She was so proud to call Callie her girlfriend, and couldn't wait to show her off. Arizona hugged herself as she reminded herself for the billionth time how lucky she was to have found Calliope Torres.

Just then, a giant roar from outside brought Arizona out of her thoughts. Looking, she saw a leather-clad sexy vision in black pulling up into her driveway on a giant Harley-Davidson. Swinging her leg over the side to dismount, Callie came strutting up the driveway.

Arizona stood in the open doorway, mouth agape as she took in the sight before her. She had thought that Callie's leather jacket, tight jeans and aviators had been a sexy look before. Now, with the added accessory of a motorcycle, Callie left Arizona in a state of complete and unmitigated awe.

Callie sauntered up to Arizona and snaked her arms around her still-speechless girlfriend's waist. A sexy, confident smirk played as across her lips. "Hey, babe. Miss me?" Callie asked, a husky sensual undertone to her voice.

"I . . . uh . . . wow. Calliope," was all Arizona could think of to say. She grabbed the lapels of Callie's jacket and pulled her girlfriend's body into her own. "Just kiss me," she rasped.

Happy to oblige, Callie closed the remaining few millimeters between them and captured Arizona's lips in a frenzied, lust-filled kiss, plunging her tongue into Arizona's welcoming mouth, pouring all her thoughts, her feelings, her desire, directly into her girlfriend. Arizona's throat vibrated with a low moan as she tangled her arms about Callie, desperately seeking any way to deepen their embrace, to meld their bodies as one. Finally, lungs screaming for oxygen, they broke apart.

Arizona looked up into Callie's deep brown eyes, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Motorcycle-chic is definitely a good look on you. Where did you get the bike?"

"I rented it for a few days. I wanted to take you on a memorable date and I thought it might be fun."

Arizona smiled and nodded. "So where are we going?"

"You'll see." Callie smirked before heading inside. "Get your things and let's hit the road." Still a bit winded and at a loss for words, Arizona nodded again and silently complied.

They headed out to the bike and Arizona took her seat behind Callie, clinging closely to her girlfriend's body. Arizona momentarily turned her head and rested her cheek on Callie's back, closing her eyes to inhale the unique, yet familiar scent of her girlfriend, savoring the closeness of their bodies.

Callie kickstarted the motorcycle and they pulled away. Arizona was in heaven. The wind whipping through their hair as they headed to a destination still unknown, the thrum of the engine vibrating between her legs, keeping her just a little more on edge than she'd otherwise be . . . or maybe it was simply the feel of Callie's strong, luscious body pressed against her own – for safety's sake only of course. Arizona smiled at the thought. The evening was beautiful, somehow not the smoldering desert heat that often plagued the city. The cool breeze, the silent embrace with her girlfriend, the joy of speeding by the surrounding environs. Arizona was in heaven.

Though Arizona couldn't see it, a look of sheer joy was plastered across Callie's face. This was the kind of life Callie could get used to. Evening joy rides, enjoying the feel of the wind against her face, with the love of her life clinging to her. The quiet, comfortable mutual solitude, shared with the woman she loved. The peace, the love, the feel of sheer and utter fulfillment. She was free. For the first time her life she was completely and utterly free – and she had her soul mate to share it with. A few weeks ago, the idea of a soul mate would have scared her senseless. Not anymore. It was anything but scary. It was perfect. It was everything. Arizona was everything. Arizona was _her_ everything.

After heading outside the city limits, Callie pulled off onto a dirt road. Finally, she came to a stop in a secluded area overlooking the mountains. As Arizona dismounted, Callie smiled and grabbed her hand, leading them up a trail. After a moment, Arizona stopped, a look of awe on her face. Before them was a blanket, spread out with a picnic basket and candles.

"How did you? Calliope . . . This is amazing."

Callie smiled and headed over to light the candles. "I have my ways. Are you going to stand over there gawking or are you going to come join me?"

Arizona laughed and made her way to the blanket, sitting down next to the basket, which she opened. Inside were some strawberries, some champagne, and a few other random food items.

"I thought we could sit here and watch the sunset over the mountains together. I know it's no Elvis Museum, but . . ."

Callie's words were cut short as Arizona drew her in for a slow, lingering kiss, gently swiping her tongue across Callie's lips until her girlfriend slowly parted her lips, granting access. The champagne and food forgotten as their tongues slid against one another in languorous, sultry dance. After several minutes of this activity, Callie finally pulled away, which elicited a groan of protest from her girlfriend.

"If we don't stop, we're going to miss the sunset." Callie stretched her legs out before her and Arizona laid her head in Callie's lap, as they watched the sun's descent together, beautiful oranges and reds playing across the mountainous horizon. They sat in comfortable, completed silence as Callie gently, lovingly stroked her hand through Arizona's blonde locks. Arizona reached up and took Callie's other hand in her own, lacing their fingers together before bringing their joined hands to rest atop her heart.

"This is absolute perfection, Calliope. You are perfection," Arizona whispered. A gentle, contented smile spread across Arizona's lips, a gesture that was matched on Callie's own face. She was right. It was perfection. For her, there had never been a more joyous, a more comfortable, a more beautiful night in her life. It was . . . perfection.


	22. Chapter 22

Title: All Bets Are Off 22/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: I reference a couple of cheesy 80s songs in this chapter. If you're not familiar, feel free to look them up, though not essential to the story. And I'm with Arizona on this one – the music is awesome . . . like in a really bad kind of way.

Arizona closed her eyes, enjoying the closeness, the intimacy of their position, as Callie stroked a hand through her hair. This feeling of contentment, of perfect, blissful silence, was not something that she was used to. In every other relationship she'd ever been in, she'd felt the weight, the burden of each pause in conversation. She'd often struggled to fill these gaps, rambling on about whatever inanity came to mind, just to avoid the deafening silence. These silences were always pregnant with awkwardness, silences born not out of a deep connection with the other person, but rather the lack of one. It was different with Calliope. So, so different. She felt completely, wholly, unashamedly connected to this woman on every level. There was no need to fill the silence because their silence did not represent a chasm, a gap between them. Rather, it represented a bond, so strong, so deep, that she felt it to be irreversible - indelibly written across their souls.

As the sun disappeared beyond the mountains and darkness enveloped them, Arizona shifted, lying on her back so that she could look up into her girlfriend's face, which was beautifully lit by the candles surrounding them. "I love you, Calliope Torres," she said simply, blue eyes smiling with the depth and passion of her emotion.

A smile crept across Callie's face as she gently cupped Arizona's cheek in her hand. "I love you too, Arizona Robbins." She gently stroked her thumb across her girlfriend's cheek.

Arizona gathered her thoughts for a moment, briefly biting her lower lip in a nervous way that Callie found adorable. "So I was thinking . . ." Arizona hesitated, unsure if she was rushing things.

"Yeah? Care to enlighten me? I have many talents, but being a mind reader, unfortunately isn't one of them." Callie smiled at her girlfriend, hoping her humor would put her at ease.

"Ah, yes. I am an admirer of many of your . . . um . . . talents . . . " Arizona grinned as she thought back to some of her previous encounters with Callie. "But anyway . . . I was thinking that um . . . maybe you'd be willing to come with me to San Diego sometime soon to meet my parents?" Arizona looked up at Callie warily, studying her face for any indication of her opinion on the subject. Unfortunately, Callie had quickly mastered the art of the poker face and Arizona could not get a read on her.

Slowly, a small smile crept across Callie's candlelit features. "You want me to meet your parents?" She looked deep into Arizona's gorgeous blue eyes. Her girlfriend nodded. "I'd love to . . . if you're sure."

Arizona sat up and gently caressed Callie's cheek, gazing deeply into those soulful brown eyes that she'd grown to love so much. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I don't want to scare you off if you think this is too soon . . ."

Callie shook her head. "Not too soon. Not at all."

Arizona beamed, her dimples melting Callie's heart even more than it already was. "Great, because I have a confession to make."

"What's that?" Callie asked curiously.

"You're it."

"I'm it?" Callie looked perplexed. "What? Are we playing a game of tag?" Callie joked, attempting to make light of a situation that she sensed was anything but.

"You are it for me, Calliope Torres. I know it's fast and I know it's sudden and I hope to God I don't send you running for those hills over there, but I feel it. You're the one for me. The one I was meant to be with. And I need to introduce my soul mate to my parents, because they're my family . . . and I'd like to think that you're also my family . . . my heart." She paused and let out a sigh that was mixture of relief and anxiety.

Callie's expression was unreadable. There were definite tinges of shock, but that wasn't all. And Arizona couldn't figure out what. "Please say something, Calliope. Even if it's to tell me that I've gone off the deep end. I hope I haven't said too much."

Callie snapped out of her awed silence and shook her head. "It's not too much, Arizona. It's just right. I feel it too. I can't imagine anything in the world that would make me happier than to keep spending days like this with you. You brighten my life in so many different ways. It was a bit of a shock to hear how you feel, but it was a good shock. Because you verbalized exactly what I've been feeling. So stop worrying and get over here and kiss me."

Callie grinned and pulled Arizona towards her, searing her lips against the blonde's, tunneling her hand roughly through her hair. Arizona moaned into the kiss, plunging her tongue deeply into her girlfriend's mouth, the heightened emotions of their conversation channeled into their passionate embrace. Needing to convey the depth of the closeness, the soul-penetrating connection that she was feeling, Arizona gently pushed Callie down on the blanket, covering the brunette's body with her own as they continued exploring each other, feeding off of each other's emotions, both feeling the blissful contentment of mutual affection and attraction. Finally, after several minutes, chest heaving, Arizona pulled back.

"Thank you for tonight, Calliope. It's been perfect."

Callie smiled. "Anytime, babe. And thank you for trusting me with your feelings. They were just what I needed to hear. You made tonight even more perfect."

Arizona nodded, grinning sweetly. "There's one thing that will make this night the epitome of perfection."

"What's that?"

A sultry grin spread across Arizona's lips as she answered in a husky whisper. "If my sexy girlfriend took me home and let me make love to her, like I've been fantasizing about all day long."

Callie chuckled before reaching up and pulling Arizona back down for one last brief, but passion-filled kiss. "I thought you'd never ask," she husked before sitting up and beginning to gather their things.

And their night was indeed perfect - their lovemaking took on a whole new level of intimacy that night, their shared confessional, the depth of their feelings laid bare, translated into a beautiful and magical night that neither would soon forget.

* * *

They spent the next few weeks playing poker and generally just enjoying each other's company. Things were going about as smoothly as anyone could hope for. Callie was in sheer and utter bliss. Her poker career was off to a good start. While she hadn't won a major World Series tournament, she'd won several smaller tournaments and had finished high enough in many others that she was slowly building her poker bankroll. More importantly, things with Arizona were going swimmingly. Every moment spent together seemed better than the one before.

Both women were savoring the joy, the rush of new love. Even the small moments were special – sharing a cup of coffee, cuddling up to one another in the middle of the night, discussing a poker hand, or fighting over the last of the hot water in the shower (problem solved by showering together – water conservation being the sole reason of course). Neither woman could ever remember feeling the level of comfort and intimacy and flat out love before in their lives. It was something that they both wanted to grasp onto and hold onto for dear life. It was something to be cherished, something that didn't come around every day. And both knew it and were immensely thankful to have found it.

* * *

Callie grumbled as she dragged their bags out to the car. They had decided to take a few days to drive down to San Diego to visit Arizona's parents. "Why are we leaving this early again?"

Arizona laughed as she loaded the car. "Because, Calliope, we have a five and a half hour drive and I don't want to waste the day in the car. Now stop whining and just admit you're nervous." Arizona set her hands on Callie's hips, a touch that despite their continual time together, still sent shivers of Callie's spine every time.

Callie sighed as she leaned into her girlfriend's soft body, looking down into her ocean blue eyes. "Okay. Maybe a little. What if they don't like me?"

Arizona placed a reassuring hand on Callie's cheek. "They'll love you, baby. Want to know why I know that?" Callie nodded. "Because I love you. And they'll see how incredibly, incredibly happy that you make me. And that's all that's important to them. I've only brought one other person home before. So the fact that I'm ready to show off my incredibly sexy, incredibly special, and well, just overall incredible girlfriend, is enough for them to know that you're awesome. Trust me. It will be fine." She leaned up on her toes and placed a chaste kiss on Callie's slightly pouty lips. "Now, how about we flip a coin to see who has to drive first?"

"That's okay, babe. I'll take the first leg. It's the least I can do after making you put up with me and my neuroses."

"Oh, it was no problem. Neurotic is a cute look on you, Ms. Torres. Now let's hit the road. I can't wait for my parents to meet the love of my life."

Hearing Arizona's enthusiasm and her admission that Callie was the 'love of her life,' caused an involuntary grin to play across Callie's face. Maybe this would be okay.

As they drove down the highway, Arizona leaned back in the passenger seat and stuck her obnoxiously pink Chuck Taylor clad feet onto the dash. Unable to resist teasing her girlfriend, who was, in Callie's opinion, overly sensitive about her ridiculous shoes, Callie smirked. "Arizona, get your Chucks off my dashboard. The neon glare they emit is going to obstruct my view of the road."

"Calliope, I've warned you time and time again. Do not, I repeat, do not mock my Chucks. They are much too awesome." Arizona did her best to feign an angry glare at her girlfriend, but quickly dissolved into a fit of laughter, which Callie wholeheartedly joined in on.

Their laughter tapered off into one of their comfortable silences. Arizona leaned over and plugged her iPod into the dash, quickly flipping through to find the song she was looking for. As the opening strains of the song played through the speakers, Callie shook her head. "Oh, no. No, way. Definitely not Arizona. We are not listening to the musical equivalent of your pink Chucks."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Arizona replied in mock seriousness. "Besides, Calliope, the musical equivalent of my shoes just means the song is awesome . . . like my Chucks. I can't help it if you can't handle the sheer amount of awesome in this car."

Callie laughed. "Arizona, crappy 80s music is not awesome. The Safety Dance is not awesome," she said, referring to the song blaring from the stereo.

"Fine, how about this one?" Arizona asked, switching to the next song on her playlist.

Callie groaned. "Arizona, seriously. How can you listen to this? Rock Me Amadeus? Really? Remind me again why I find you attractive?"

"Don't tell me you need a reminder, Calliope," Arizona grinned, her dimples playing across her face. Using the opening Callie had given her, she began gently scraping her nails along the inside of Callie's jean covered thigh.

Callie gasped involuntarily at the unexpected, yet welcomed caress of her girlfriend. Before she knew what was happening, Arizona's fingers were playing at the apex of her thighs, cupping her suddenly heated center, teasing, tickling her through the fabric. Arizona, apparently unconcerned for their safety and the driver's need to pay attention the road, slowly unbuttoned the clasp of Callie's jeans, before snaking a hand down into Callie's panties, meeting the wet, warmth depths of her girlfriend. At the same time, she leaned over and began placing warm, wet kisses along the juncture of Callie's neck and shoulder. As Arizona dipped her hand further into Callie's core, her girlfriend let out an involuntary moan and shuddered, causing the car to swerve slightly before she righted it.

"Arizona . . .," Callie rasped. "I don't think . . ."

"You don't think what? You don't think my music is so bad after all?" Arizona continued blazing a trail with her lips across Callie's exposed skin.

Suddenly, they were brought out of their reverie by the sound of a siren and flashing lights behind them.

"Shit!" Callie cursed. "Now look what you've done! We're getting pulled over. What am I supposed to tell him? That my horny girlfriend was fingering me while I drove? Somehow I don't think that'll go over too well." Callie ran a hand through her hair as Arizona quickly rebuttoned her girlfriend's pants.

"It's not my fault that you're irresistible." Arizona smirked. She quickly changed tack when she saw the lack of mirth on Callie's face. "Just calm down, baby. Most of these guys are suckers for a poor, pretty, helpless female. Just bat your eyelashes a few times and play dumb."

"You'd better be right," Callie grumbled as she pulled the car to a stop on the shoulder of the highway.

A state trooper sauntered up to the window. "License and registration, please," he instructed, waiting for Callie to hand him the relevant paperwork. Once she'd done so, he leaned in. "You were swerving around a bit back there ma'am. That's not safe. Any idea why you might have been doing that?"

Callie blushed, unable to forget what they'd just been doing. "I'm sorry officer, I uh . . ." she struggled to form words, unable to think of an excuse.

Arizona butted in, coming to the rescue. "I'm sorry officer. Thank you so much for pulling us over and making sure we were okay. I appreciate the fact that you were concerned for our safety – such a gentleman." Callie struggled not to laugh. Arizona was really laying it on thick. "You see, Calliope here had a bit of a sneezing fit. Totally out of nowhere. That's what caused her to swerve."

The officer looked at Callie for confirmation. She nodded. "Yeah, that's right. Damn allergies." Thankfully both of their poker faces held up – they weren't professionals for nothing.

"Alright, then," the patrolman answered. "Maybe next time take some allergy medicine before driving, ma'am?"

"Sure thing." Callie gave him her biggest, brightest smile.

"You drive safe now," he said as he handed Callie back her license and paperwork and headed away.

"That was close." Arizona said as she let out a sigh of relief.

Callie smirked. "No thanks to my handsy girlfriend."

"I've never had any complaints from you before, baby." Arizona smirked, savoring their flirty banter.

"Oh, I never said I had a problem with it, babe. Just not while I'm operating heavy machinery. Any other time, feel free to be as handsy as you want . . ."

She pulled back onto the highway and they continued on their way, the music still playing in the background.

"Oh, and babe?" Callie added.

"Yeah?"

"Turn that God awful music off. No amount of you and those magic fingers of yours are going to make me love 'Walk Like an Egyptian.'"

Arizona smiled as she switched off the music. She was taking her future to meet her past. And even without a serenade by The Bangles, this journey was already shaping up to be a memorable one.


	23. Chapter 23

Title: All Bets Are Off 23/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

As Arizona pulled off the highway and steered the car towards their final destination, she could sense a shift in Callie's mood. Gone was the lighthearted flirty banter that had made up the majority of their trip. The tension and nerves were painted across her girlfriend's face. Sensing Callie's need for comfort, Arizona reached over and laced her fingers through her girlfriend's, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. As they pulled to a stop at a stoplight, she leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Callie's cheek.

"Relax, baby. It's going to be fine." Arizona said gently.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm going to face a firing squad?" Callie mumbled.

"Why would you think that? My parents are awesome and loving and welcoming. And they're going to love you, just like I do."

"But you said it yourself – your dad's a Marine Colonel. Not exactly a big cuddly teddy bear – or at least I can't imagine him being that way."

"He's a big softie on the inside. You wait and see. And my mom and I are a lot alike. So if you like me, you'll like her." Arizona shot Callie a sideways grin before refocusing on the road.

"Please just tell me that she doesn't wear pink Chucks." Callie smiled, relaxing slightly.

"Not that I'm aware of, so you're safe on that front."

"Good. Because there's only so much of that sort of 'awesome' as you put it, that I can take at once." Callie joked, using air quotes to mock Arizona's description of her shoes.

"You're never going to let this whole shoe thing go, are you?" Arizona shook her head.

"Not while I'm having so much fun with it." Callie laughed.

As they eased into the driveway of Arizona's parents' house, Callie let out a sigh of trepidation.

Arizona unbuckled her seat belt and reached across to draw Callie into her arms. "Come here, baby." She wrapped her arms around Callie, rubbing reassuring circles across her back. "It's going to be fine. Really. I promise you, if there were something to be scared about, I'd warn you," she whispered into Callie's hair. She pulled back and looked into Callie's deep brown eyes. "You are an amazing woman, Calliope Torres – and they're going to see that." She leaned in and captured Callie's lips in a brief kiss. "Now let's go inside before they think we're doing dirty things in the car." Arizona pulled away as Callie laughed nervously and they exited the car.

As they headed to the front door, it opened. Standing there was a petite blonde woman with a set of very familiar looking dimples. Arizona was the spitting image of her mother, except for her eyes, which clearly came from the clean cut, solid looking man standing next to her. Callie followed Arizona up the steps, where she was immediately enveloped in a hug by Arizona's mom.

"Callie. It's so good to finally meet you. Arizona's told us so much about you. In fact, since she finally let us know she'd met someone, we haven't been able to get her to talk about anything else." She pulled back and smiled at Callie, instantly putting her at ease.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Robbins," Callie said.

"Please, no formalities – we're all family here. Please, call me Trish. And this is Dan," she said as she gestured to her husband.

Callie held out her hand. "Pleased to me you." Arizona's father, who had a poker face to match his daughter's, took her hand and shook it.

Finally, breaking his stoic expression, he smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "It's good to finally meet the woman who seems to have made my little girl so happy. Now let's go inside." He stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter the house.

As they entered, Arizona was immediately bombarded by two blonde whirling dervishes, wrapping their arms around her legs enthusiastically. "Aunt Arizona! Hi! Do you want to see our new toy?" Arizona chuckled as she looked down at her twin nephews.

"Bobby, Tommy, why don't you go play out back and give your Aunt a few minutes to get settled?" Another blonde woman, clearly Arizona's sister, called from across the room.

Arizona bent down to the boys' eye level. "How about I meet you outside in a few minutes? And then you can show me your toy?" The boys nodded.

"Who's that?" Bobby asked, pointing to Callie.

"That's my friend Callie," Arizona explained, knowing the 4 year olds really wouldn't understand or care about the exact nature of their relationship. "She's really, really cool. If you're lucky, maybe she'll be your friend too."

"Callie?" Tommy said, looking up at Callie with big blue eyes that mirrored his aunt's.

"What's up, kiddo?"

"Do you want to come play with us too?" Tommy asked.

"Of course! I can't think of anything that would be cooler. How about I come outside with your aunt in a few minutes?" The boys nodded and ran out to the backyard.

"Sorry about that." Arizona's sister added. "They can be a handful. Don't feel like you have to entertain them. They're more than capable of doing it themselves. I'm Amy, by the way. Arizona's sister."

"It's not a problem at all. I love kids." Callie smiled.

"I'm sure you've already guessed, but this is Callie, Amy." Arizona said.

Callie walked towards the woman, hand extended. "Glad to meet you." Amy took her hand, but pulled her in for a hug. As she did so, she said "anyone who makes my baby sister as happy as she tells me she is gets more than a handshake. And if they're willing to deal with the terrible twosome out there, then that's an added bonus." She pulled back and the two women shared a smile.

"I love seeing you and the boys, Amy, but I wasn't expecting you to be here. Boston's not exactly next door," Arizona said, a bit confused by her sister's presence.

"I know, but when I heard that you were bringing your girlfriend home to meet the folks, I couldn't resist. It's not something you do often. Tom stayed back East because of work, but the boys and I decided we needed to meet this Callie that you won't shut up about."

Learning that Arizona had rambled about her to various family members made Callie's heart swell. Sure, Arizona had told her time and again about her feelings, but the fact that she needed to share them with her family added another level. She'd only known these people a few minutes, but she already got the feeling that she fit, that they were truly happy to meet her, and that they'd welcome her with open arms, should Arizona choose to spend her life with her. That thought – the thought of spending her life with Arizona, sent a shiver down her spine. But it was a good shiver. The kind she'd always prayed would happen, the kind that spread an involuntary smile across her face.

"Why don't you two get settled upstairs and we'll meet you out back," Arizona's mom suggested. "Your old room is all ready, sweetie."

Arizona nodded and took Callie's hand, leading them upstairs, with her father following, bags in tow. After he set their things down, he smiled and silently left the room.

Callie turned and looked at Arizona curiously. "They let us share a room? My parents would never go for that . . . but then again, they'd never go for me and you to begin with, so . . ."

Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie's neck before placing a kiss on her lips to silence her ramble, wanting to head off any sadness before it started. "My parents would probably like to be more old-fashioned. But they know me too well. They tell me I can't sleep in same bed with you, I'm just going to ignore them and sneak in here anyway. So might as well avoid the extra trouble. And don't worry. I have faith. Your parents will come around. And if not, I'll be your family. I know it's not the same, but . . . "

It was Callie's turn to cut off their conversation with a kiss. She smiled into the embrace, softly playing her lips across Arizona's before leaning back and staring into those sapphire depths. "I love you, Arizona Robbins. Now let's go downstairs and meet your family. Suddenly, I'm not scared anymore."

Arizona grinned and grabbed Callie's hand as they headed downstairs and out to the backyard.

The adults were sitting around chatting while the boys attempted to play with their new whiffle ball and bat. "Callie!" Tommy yelled. "Come play baseball with us!"

Arizona chuckled. "I see I'm forgotten already."

Callie smiled at her as she headed towards the boys. "I can't help it if they recognize who the real awesome one is."

Arizona rolled her eyes and took a seat next to her parents and sister as she watched Callie interact with her nephews. Callie was bent over Bobby as she slowly and patiently showed him the proper way to swing a bat. She then showed Tommy where to stand to be the catcher and patiently pitched the ball to Bobby, smiling as he missed ball after ball. Finally, he swung and hit the ball, a little dribbling grounder towards Callie. Bobby took off towards their makeshift first base as Callie grabbed the ball and pretended to flail about chasing him around the bases, before letting him score a home run.

Arizona watched in happy silence as her girlfriend played with the boys. The bright smile on Callie's face as she teased them, coached them, cheered them on, was priceless. Clearly she was having as much fun as the boys. And judging by the stream of giggles coming from them, her nephews adored Callie as much as she did. A goofy smile spread across Arizona's face as she continued watching them, paying no attention to the conversation the other adults were engaged in.

"She's beautiful, Arizona." Her mother's words cut through Arizona's reverie.

Arizona nodded. "I know." A look of pure, satisfied joy spread across her face.

'I'm not just talking about her looks, sweetie, though she is beautiful in that respect. I'm talking about her as a person. I can tell already that she's very special."

"But you've barely said a word to her yet – since the boys are monopolizing her. How can you be sure? I'm not doubting it, because well, I know how amazing she is, but I'm just curious." Arizona glanced over at her mother briefly before turning her attention back to Callie.

"First of all, I trust you. If you say she's amazing, then I don't doubt it for a second. But also, just look at her with Tommy and Bobby. A lot of people would have brushed them off, especially after a long car ride and the added stress of meeting the family. Not her. She dove right in. And she'd clearly enjoying it as much as the twins. I can already tell, just from the way she treats those children, that she's got a big heart and that that big heart of hers is in the right place. So, I'm really happy for you honey. I think she's going to fit in just fine around here. She's going to be family. I can feel it."

Arizona nodded again. "I feel it too, Mom. I've never been more sure about anything. And I keep finding out more and more things about her that keep me in a state of continual awe."

After "failing" to tag Tommy out before he stepped across home plate, Callie collapsed to the ground in feigned defeat. "Well, you guys beat me fair and square. I don't see how I'm ever going to survive the agony of defeat." She swept a dramatic arm across her eyes. The boys immediately launched themselves atop her, tackling her. They erupted in a fit of giggles as she grabbed them and began tickling them. After the three of them finally fell into a breathless silence, Callie rose to a kneeling position and brushed the grass off her clothes. "Well, boys, what do you say we go see if we can talk Aunt Arizona into finding us a drink?" They nodded, but not before each clung to her, hugging her tightly. She wrapped an arm around each boy and squeezed. She looked up and discovered a pair of familiar eyes studying her intently. Arizona had a small smile on her face as she locked gazes with Callie.

Callie grinned at her girlfriend as she snuggled against the twins. She could get used to this, she thought, the relaxed, comfortable, welcoming Robbins family dynamic.

Arizona smiled back. At that moment, right as the boys embraced her girlfriend, Arizona knew it. This was her future. Her family, her Calliope, maybe a few more kids, some with raven hair and dark eyes, sharing little moments like this together. Callie was her future.


	24. Chapter 24

Title: All Bets Are Off 24/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

As dinner time approached, Arizona's mother rose from her seat. "I'm going to head inside and get a start on dinner."

As she turned to leave, Callie stood. "I'm pretty good in the kitchen, can I help with anything?"

Trish smiled at Callie and looked past her towards her daughter. "I like this one already, Arizona. You wouldn't be caught within 20 feet of a kitchen . . . not that I'd let you in there anyway, being the walking fire hazard that you are."

"Hey! That's not true!" Arizona protested.

Callie laughed. "Sorry, babe, but it's so true." She turned and followed Arizona's mom inside.

Despite the fact that she was being mocked from multiple corners, the whole exchange made Arizona's heart swell. She smiled as she watched her girlfriend head inside, already seeming like a member of the family.

Watching his daughter with studious eyes, Arizona's father finally broke the silence. "She seems quite special, your Callie."

Sensing their need for a private conversation, Amy rose and excused herself, dragging her sons with her. "I'm just going to go inside and get these two cleaned up for dinner." Arizona smiled at her sister as she left.

"She is special, Daddy. I've never met anyone like her." Arizona grinned at her father.

Her father leaned over a gently took her hand, his blue eyes piercing her own. Her father was not a man of many words, but when he did speak, it meant something. "Just to give you fair warning, I will have to, at some point, have the obligatory talk with this young woman about how to treat my daughter."

Arizona leaned back. "Daddy . . ." She began to chastise him, but he held a hand up to stop her.

"Let me finish. I have to, as your father, have that conversation. However, what I was about to say, before you interrupted me, was that I don't think it's necessary. I can sense already that she's a kind, caring, upstanding person. The kind of person who I can trust with my daughter's heart. I've been waiting a long time to meet that kind of person. You are a very special young woman, Arizona, and are so precious to your mother and me. I couldn't stand to see you get walked all over again, like that Joanne did to you. Somehow, this time around, I'm not worried. And I can see that she loves you, which is all that matters."

A single tear trickled down Arizona's cheek, which her father reached up and wiped away. Despite his gruff exterior, he was really a teddy bear underneath. Arizona looked up at him. "Thank you Daddy, I love her too. Very, very much."

"Not many people would have thrown themselves into the deep end like she has. Playing with the boys, helping your mother, despite being nervous – yes, I could tell. It shows that she's got strong character, that she's willing to face the tough things in life. The kind of person that will protect my daughter and her heart." He squeezed her hand.

"She's all of those things and more, Daddy." Arizona smiled, letting her father continue, knowing conversations like this didn't happen very often with her father.

"She's got an energy about her that makes you want to love her right away – even the boys sensed it. I think that's why they forgot all about their cool Aunt Arizona." Arizona laughed at his observation. "But I see there's a sadness in her eyes."

Arizona nodded. "I'm not sure if mom told you, but she's been going through a tough time with her family. Her father is very traditional and doesn't approve of the fact that she's playing poker for a living or that she's dating a woman. He's cut her off. So she's lost her family. I know it was the right decision for her . . . not just for my own selfish reasons, but I think she's finally able to be her true self. A lot of people would have given in, gone back home and fallen in line. She didn't. She stood up for herself. She's so strong, Daddy, so brave. But inside, she's hurting. She's lost her family. No one should ever be forced to make that choice. I'm so lucky that you and Mom were so understanding with me, that you decided to accept me."

Her father nodded. "There was no decision for us to make. You were our daughter and we loved you. End of story. It angers me that her father could choose to shut out such a vibrant, seemingly wonderful daughter, simply because he doesn't agree with the way she's living her life. Perhaps he'll come around in time. Until then, Arizona, you need to be who I raised you to be. You need to be her good man in the storm and be there for her, protect her, and cherish her. And we will be here too. We will be her family."

His words caused a few more rogue tears to spill from Arizona's cheeks as she wrapped her arms around her father in a tight bear hug. "Thank you, Daddy. I love you so much."

He smiled and he rubbed a hand across her back. "I love you too, pumpkin. Now let's go instead and see what our ladies are up to in the kitchen."

* * *

As Callie followed Trish inside, the woman turned and hugged her tightly. "Thank you," Arizona's mother said.

"For what?"

"For making my daughter so happy. I've never seen her like this . . . and that's saying something. In case you haven't noticed, Arizona's a bit on the perky side."

Callie laughed. "Indeed, that is a trait of hers that hard to miss. But it's endearing. And there's no need to thank me, Trish. She makes me incredibly happy as well. I can't really imagine what life was like before she was in it. You've raised an incredible woman. So really, I should be thanking you."

Trish shook her head. "From what I can tell so far, Callie, you're pretty special yourself."

After hesitating for few moments, Trish broached the subject of family. "So tell me about your family, Callie. Arizona says you've been having a bit of a difficult time lately." She immediately regretted bringing it up as a brief look of pain washed over Callie's face before she recomposed herself. "Or don't. I know it must be tough, but if you need someone to talk to, know that I'm here and willing to help in any way I can." She placed a reassuring hand on Callie's shoulder.

"It's okay, it's therapeutic to talk about it, I think," Callie said as she smiled wanly, before returning her attention to the vegetables she was chopping. "My father is wealthy. I grew up going to the best schools, with the best coaches, the best tutors, and everything I could ever need to help me succeed. And so I did. I excelled at sports, at academics, but I was never really happy. My parents were loving, but a bit distant. My father expected me to fall in line and do as he pleased, just like one of his employees. And I did. For the majority of my life, I was the dutiful daughter. I even went to work for his company. But there was always something missing. I felt like I never really had done anything completely on my own, completely for myself. So, after a bad breakup, I moved to Vegas to try my hand and poker . . . and met your daughter. The poker . . . and more importantly, Arizona, make me so happy. For the first time in my life I feel fulfilled. But my father found out and threatened to cut me off if I didn't give up both. And I couldn't do it. I couldn't go back to my old life, now that I know what it's like to be my own person . . . what it's like to really love and be loved for who I am. It was a hard decision, but I know I made the right choice in standing up to my father. If he can't accept me for who I am, that's his problem."

Trish rubbed soothing circles on her back. "But it doesn't make it any easier, does it?"

Callie shook her head as she fought back tears. Trish pulled her into her arms. "I have faith, Callie. Your father loves you and thought he was doing what was best for you. Sure, he was misguided, but I'm positive that he did what he did out of love. He'll come around. How could he not? To me, not having an amazing woman like you in his life doesn't seem like an option. Give it time. In the meantime, we're here for you, sweetie, whatever you need. Just ask."

Callie hugged the woman back, holding on tightly. "Thank you."

After holding Callie for a few silent moments, Trish pulled back. "Okay, enough of that serious stuff. How about I tell you some embarrassing stories about Arizona?"

"Deal." Callie said, smiling. Trish grinned, glad to see Callie's magical smile return. It hurt her to know that anyone would want to upset such a beautiful soul. She silently thanked the heavens for sending such a special person for her Arizona.

"Well, there was this one time when Arizona was about 4 or 5 and she mooned her grandmother. In public." Trish laughed as she remembered.

"She mooned her grandma?" Callie said in disbelief.

"Yes. In a very public shopping area. Her grandmother, Dan's mom, was this very prim and proper lady. She was not amused – her grandchildren should have better manners than to disrespect their elders like that. And they should especially know that public nudity was to be frowned upon. Dan and I did all we could to keep from laughing long enough to get Arizona out of her sight."

They shared a laugh and at that moment, Arizona and her father entered the kitchen. "What's so funny?" Arizona asked, curious as to the source of their humor.

"Oh, nothing. Your mom was just telling me about the time you mooned your grandma." Callie snickered.

"Mom! No embarrassing stories! It's not fair!" Arizona protested.

"Sorry, sweetie, but I couldn't resist. Now come and help set the table." Her mother handed her some plates as Callie and she continued to laugh.

* * *

Their dinner was a picture perfect, stereotypical family dinner. Lots of laughs, joking, and just an overall sense of comfort and love. Arizona sat back and admired the way Callie fit right in. There wasn't even a trace of girlfriend's earlier nervousness. Callie helped Amy cut up food for the boys, engaged her father in a conversation about football, talked celebrity gossip with her sister, and spent time with her mother discussing more embarrassing Arizona stories. A smile crept across Arizona's face as the dinner progressed. It was as if Callie had always be here, a part of her family. The way she melded in to her special little clan made Arizona love her even more, if that were possible.

Callie was having a great time. The Robbins Family were warm and loving and genuinely great people. It wasn't hard to believe that Arizona had grown up amongst them. It would be difficult not to turn out as amazing as her girlfriend when surrounded by such supportive, caring family. She reflected on the dinner, the relaxed environment, the lack of any need for formalities or decorum. It was so different from what she'd grown up with. She loved her family, but there had never been the carefree ease, never the overwhelming sense of warmth that seemed to exude from every inch of the house, the family. A bittersweet smile crept across her face.

* * *

After dinner, Callie and Arizona headed out to the backyard and sat on the porch swing, happy to spend a few moments alone together.

They sat in silence for a few moments, arms about each other, Arizona's head laid upon Callie's shoulder. Arizona sensed that something was on Callie's mind. "Penny for your thoughts?" She asked as she lifted her head to look into Callie's eyes.

"I was just thinking about how different this visit has been than what I'm used to back home. Everything is always so formal, so judgmental. I mean, I love my family, I do. It's just different. Your family is great. So open, so relaxed. You were right, I had nothing to worry about." She leaned her head against the top of Arizona's.

Arizona rubbed a reassuring hand across her back. Callie let out a small sigh. "You miss them."

"Yeah," Callie replied simply, before falling into silence again. Arizona pulled her closer, hugging her girlfriend against her body. A few tears rolled down Callie's cheeks and she reached up to kiss them away before pulling her back in for another silent, comforting hug.

It was in that moment that Arizona knew she had to do something. Callie's heart had become her own, and when Callie's heart ached, so did hers. It was time for her to step up, time for her to be Callie's good man in a storm. It was time to protect the things she loved. And she loved Calliope Torres with her whole being.


	25. Chapter 25

Title: All Bets Are Off 25/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

* * *

The next morning, Callie awoke particularly early. She couldn't put an exact finger on the reason why, but she didn't mind. For some reason, she was feeling awake and chipper. Undoubtedly, a good deal of her happiness stemmed from her current surroundings. She was snuggled up in bed with her favorite person, in a house that was infused with love and understanding and acceptance. It felt like she was a part of this family, that she'd been a part for years. The feeling of total and utter relaxation, of carefree comfort, was definitely something she could get used to. Glancing at the clock, she decided that it was too early to wake up her girlfriend, especially considering their late night escapades the night before. There had been something incredibly hot about having to sneak around and keep quiet, for fear of letting Arizona's family know of the exact nature of their activities.

Slowly, she extricated her arms from around her girlfriend, careful not to disturb her. Callie paused to study the blonde, a small smile spreading across her face. She was so beautiful when she slept, so innocent, so peaceful. Unable to resist, Callie bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before rising from the bed. Arizona stirred slightly and emitted a few adorable mumbling sounds before rolling over and settling back into her slumber.

Callie made sure she was decent and headed downstairs. She figured after the warm welcome the family had given her, the least she could do to repay them was to make breakfast before she and Arizona left to head back to Vegas. She surveyed the contents of the refrigerator and the pantry before setting to work, turning on the coffee maker and beginning a batch of French toast.

Callie was busy preparing the food and didn't hear Arizona's father enter the kitchen. "You're up early." A calm voice startled Callie, causing her to jump.

She turned to look at him. "Oh . . . uh . . . hi. Yeah. I couldn't sleep for some reason, so I thought I'd make breakfast." He nodded and stood there, content to watch her work. The silent, analytic stare on his face unnerved her slightly, causing her to feel the need to fill the gap with conversation.

"So, you're up early too . . .," she began.

He nodded. "Always have been an early riser. After spending so many years in the Marines, it's kind of ingrained in me. Hard habit to break."

Callie smiled. "I'll bet," she said before turning back to her cooking.

"So, Callie . . ." He paused, apparently choosing his words carefully. "As Arizona's father, I'm charged with making sure that my daughter is happy, that she's looked after. After what happened with her last serious girlfriend, I have to be sure you'll treat her right."

A million butterflies erupted in Callie's stomach. So here it was, the 'you break my daughter's heart, I'll break your face' talk. She'd been expecting it, but that didn't make it any less intimidating, especially coming from a retired Marine colonel. She nodded and took a deep breath before meeting his gaze. "I respect that, sir. And I hope you understand that I intend to treat your daughter right. I love her and she 's been there for me when I needed it most. Intend to do the same for her. She's the most important person in my life now. The last thing I'd dream of doing is hurting her. She brings so much joy to my life and I can only hope to do the same for her."

He nodded again. "Please, Callie. Call me Dan. You're not one of my enlisted men. So none of that 'sir' nonsense. We're having this discussion because as a father, I feel obligated to, but I should tell you, I don't think it's necessary. From what I've seen since you arrived and from what Arizona has told her mother and me, I can say that I am perfectly comfortable trusting you with my daughter."

"Thank you, s . . . Dan." Callie said, as she corrected herself.

They settled back into silence and Callie could sense that he wanted to say something, but was hesitating. Finally, he broke his silence. "So Arizona tells me that you've been having some trouble with your family lately."

Callie nodded. He looked decidedly uncomfortable and she got the sense that he wasn't one who talked about feelings and emotions often. "Yeah. I'm sure you've heard the story already. My father doesn't approve of the fact that I'm dating a woman and that I've become, what he views as a professional gambler. So he made me choose – my family or what made me happy. And I chose your daughter. Obviously."

Dan was silent for a moment, obviously deep in thought. "The fact that you had the courage to give up everything you've known in order to stand up for what you believe in, what you love, is admirable. I respect you for that. Many, many people would not have been able to make such a tough choice. You'd have made a good Marine." Callie laughed quietly before he continued. "I've only known you a short time, but I'm sure this must be hard on you. And I've never met your father, but it seems to me that he'd be an idiot to shut a strong, caring young woman like you out of his life permanently. Give him some time. He'll come around. In the meantime, you are to lean on us, do you understand?" His deep blue eyes, so much like Arizona's pierced her own. Callie could tell he meant it. She nodded slowly, swallowing hard as she tried not to let her emotions overwhelm her. He continued, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "I mean it. I can tell that you are important to my daughter and she is the same to you. So that makes you family. We are your family. Anything you need, you come to us, no questions asked."

Callie smiled weakly, struggling to suppress how much his quiet, stoic support meant. "Thank you, Dan. Really. It means so much that you and your family have welcomed me so generously. And thank you for your daughter. She is truly the best thing that ever happened to me." Unable to resist, she pulled him in for a hug. It surprised him at first, but he chuckled lightly and returned the embrace before pulling back and kissing her briefly on the cheek. "Welcome to the family, Callie. Now let's finish up this breakfast before we wake the others." They worked together to finish cooking, chatting about lighter matters, when Arizona came walking lazily down the stairs.

Arizona stopped at the bottom of the stairs to take in the adorable sight before her. Her girlfriend and her father were cooking together, engaged in light banter, joking and laughing. She couldn't help but melt as she watched their interaction. It wasn't often that she saw her father so at ease and so . . . well, for lack of a better word, perky – at least as perky as a Marine could get. She had no doubt that the cause of his change in demeanor was the sexy brunette she'd been smart enough to bring home with her. It was as if they'd been together forever, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for Callie and her father to be spending time together like this.

Callie was in the midst of a laugh when she sensed a pair of eyes upon her. She looked up and locked gazes with a sleepy-eyed, disheveled looking Arizona, adorable with her mussed hair and teddy bear-covered pajama pants. The look of pure and untempered love on Arizona's face took her breath away. Callie smiled back at her girlfriend and struggled to concentrate on plating the food. Noticing the arrival of his daughter and the exchange of looks between the two women, Dan excused himself. "I'm going to go wake your mother and sister, Arizona. Why don't you help Callie here set the table."

Arizona nodded and smiled at her father as he passed her, before heading into the kitchen. She snaked her arms around Callie's neck, pinning her against the counter. "Hey, beautiful," she whispered, looking up into Callie's gorgeous brown eyes.

"Hey," was all Callie could muster. Arizona reached up and pulled Callie's head down, bringing their lips together as she tasted, savored her girlfriend's mouth against her own. They stood this way for a few moments, kissing at a leisurely pace, neither one feeling the need to deepen or hurry the embrace, simply enjoying the lazy morning greeting. Finally, Arizona pulled back. "So you and my dad . . . seem to be getting along well."

Callie nodded. "Of course, he had to warn me not to break your heart, but once we got past that, he's really just a big old puppy dog. He's great . . . all of your family is great. Thank you so much for dragging me here, making me do this. It's just what I've needed. They're all so understanding and welcoming. So different . . ." Callie started to think about her family again before Arizona pulled her in for a tight hug.

"Shh . . ." she silenced Callie's words. "Let's not go there. They'll see the light eventually. I can't promise that it's going to stop hurting, but it will get easier. At least I hope it will. Now come on, let's get this breakfast set up. We should get going soon after breakfast so we can get home at a decent hour. With the main event tournament starting tomorrow, we're going to want to get plenty of sleep." Callie nodded and they went about setting the table.

After having breakfast with the family, Callie and Arizona packed up their things and said their goodbyes. As they headed to the car, Dan and Trish followed. Trish pulled Callie in for a big hug. "Thank you so much for coming, sweetie. You're welcome here anytime. And thank you for taking such good care of our Arizona. She can be a handful." Callie laughed as she pulled back and looked at Trish. "Thank you for having me. I had a great time."

At the same time, Arizona hugged her father tightly. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, pumpkin," he said as he kissed the top of her head. Then, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Hang on to this one. She's a keeper."

Arizona grinned, showing her trademark dimples. "I know, Daddy. Trust me, I know. I won't let her go without a fight." She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

After saying the rest of their goodbyes, they headed to the car and made their way back to Vegas. They were almost home when Callie sensed a change in her girlfriend's mood. "What's wrong, babe?"

"Nothing. Well, not nothing. I can't really put a finger on it. But something's off. Something's not right." Arizona wrinkled her forehead as she tried to figure out what was bothering her.

"Sure you're not just nervous about the big tournament tomorrow? It is the world championship after all," Callie suggested.

Arizona let out a bark of laughter. "Calliope . . ." she began in an exasperated tone. "I am Arizona Robbins. World class poker player – owner of three World Series bracelets. I am a force to be reckoned with. I do not, I repeat, I do not get nervous."

Callie rolled her eyes and smirked. Unable to resist teasing, she said, "the lady doth protest too much, methinks."

"Calliope, no amount of you and your Shakespeare quotes are going to change the fact that I am awesome and the fact that I do_ not_ get nervous."

"Whatever you say, babe." Callie smirked as she pulled into the driveway. They both let out a sigh of relief as they hauled their luggage inside. It had been a long day and both were anxious to get some rest.

Just as they got inside, Arizona's phone began to ring. She looked at the caller ID. "It's my sister," Arizona said before putting her phone down on the table.

"Aren't you going to get it?" Callie asked.

"I'm exhausted and I know she's just going to want to gossip and rehash the weekend, tell me how amazing you are. Since I already know that, I think I'm just going to ignore it for tonight. I'll talk to her tomorrow. Right now, all I can think about is a warm bath and snuggling up in bed with this really hot girl I know."

Callie smirked. "What's her name? I'll call her and tell her to meet you over here."

Arizona rolled her eyes and swatted Callie playfully on the butt. "Stop playing hard to get, Calliope. Now are you going to join me, or am I flying solo tonight?" Arizona turned and headed to the bathroom, shedding her clothing as she went.

Callie raised an eyebrow before following Arizona. Maybe they wouldn't be getting that much rest after all.

* * *

The next day, as she readied to head over to the Rio for the Main Event of the World Series of Poker, Callie heard a commotion and a stream of curses coming from the bedroom.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Arizona said as she pawed through the contents of their luggage from their trip to San Diego. "I knew it! I knew something wasn't right! Where are they damn it?"

Callie came over and laid a staying hand on Arizona's shoulder. "Arizona!"

"What!"

"What is the matter? You're acting crazy." Callie was concerned by the level of unease evident on her girlfriend's face.

"I can't find them. And I can't play without them. This is a disaster. It's the biggest tournament of the year and I can't find them!"

"Find what?" Callie asked, still confused.

"My Chucks!"

Callie struggled not to laugh, seeing that her girlfriend's concern, no matter how ludicrous, was real. "Can't you just wear a different pair of shoes?"

"No! My Chucks are like my good luck charm. They are what help me harness all of my bad ass, awesome poker ju-ju."

Unable to resist, Callie let a laugh escape. "You did not just say 'bad ass awesome poker ju-ju.'"

"Uh, yeah, I did. And it's true. I'm doomed." Arizona ran a frustrated hand through her golden locks. "Where on Earth could they be? I knew I should have worn them yesterday. I bet I left them at my parents' house. That's probably what my sister was calling about." She went and grabbed her phone, listening to the voicemail. "Yep. The boys apparently thought my shoes would make a good fort for their G.I. Joes. Amy found them under their bed. Great."

Callie grabbed Arizona by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. Obviously, her girlfriend needed a pep talk, so she would give her one . . . as long as she could keep from laughing. "Arizona Robbins, you are great. You. Are. Great. Remember when you said that to me? The same is true of you. You _are_ a bad ass, awesome poker player, magic Pink Chuck ju-ju or not. Now let's head over to the Rio and you can kick some serious ass." Arizona nodded and took a deep breath, resigning herself to the fact that she would have to win this tournament Chuckless. She uncomfortably slipped on a pair of plain and boring black shoes and headed to the car.

* * *

The tournament had been underway for a few hours and things were not going Arizona's way. She hadn't been knocked out, thankfully, but her whole game was thrown off. She didn't feel right, she felt naked without her beloved shoes. She sighed as she folded what had to have been her 100th terrible hand in a row. She leaned back and closed her eyes momentarily, silently willing the poker gods to have some sympathy on her and her decidedly unostentatiously attired feet. Her eyes snapped open, however, as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into the eyes of her gorgeous girlfriend.

Callie smiled and handed Arizona a bag. "I won a big pot early on, so thought I'd sit out a few hands and run an errand. Thought you might need some cheering up." Callie winked and headed back to her table.

Arizona opened the bag, expecting something like donuts. She was taken aback by the contents. It was all Arizona could do not to break out into tears as her heart swelled. Staring back at her was a pair of brand new Pink Chucks. She was so damn lucky to have Calliope Torres in her life. Now, her day was perfect. She had Callie . . . and she had her Chucks. She smiled as she slipped them on, feeling their magical powers wash over her, this time bolstered by something even more magical – Callie's love. She grinned. It was time to win this damn tournament.


	26. Chapter 26

Title: All Bets Are Off 26/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

Both Callie and Arizona managed to survive the first day of the tournament. The Main Event was a grueling, multi-day tournament, where only the strongest, most capable players survived. And even then, they needed luck on their side . . . or maybe some magic pink shoes. After playing late into the evening, the two women headed home. Callie leaned back into her seat as Arizona drove them home, closing her eyes and stretching, attempting to work some of the kinks out of her body that had taken hold after hours at the poker table.

Arizona glanced over at her girlfriend and smiled. She was amazing. Who else in their right mind would have given up an hour of playing time at the biggest poker tournament of the year, just to put their neurotic girlfriend's mind at ease? Not many would. But her Calliope had. She reached across and grabbed Callie's hand. Callie peeked open an eye and gave Arizona a small smile before closing it again, content to just ride in silence. Every moment together seemed so effortless, yet so perfect. It was as if they were made for each other. Arizona shook her head silently. Her father had been right. Not that she had doubted before, but after Callie's support and thoughtfulness this morning, she knew for sure – Callie was a keeper. And she needed to make sure she spent every second she could showing Callie how thankful she was, and supporting her girlfriend in return.

When they got home, they both practically stumbled through the door, exhausted and stiff from their poker marathon. However, as Arizona looked down at her brand new Chucks, she was reminded all over again how incredible her girlfriend was. The thought made her smile, as she watched her girlfriend throw her things on a nearby table and begin to get comfortable. Her heart swelled with love, but that feeling was quickly joined by one of lust as Callie bent over to remove her shoes, giving Arizona a rather pleasant view down the front of her already revealing top. The fact that this gorgeous woman had put Arizona's needs before her own best interests this morning made Arizona's feelings even more heightened. It was time she showed Calliope exactly how thankful she was.

Callie sunk down onto the living room couch, an exhausted arm slung over her eyes. "That was a long, long day. I can't believe I have to do that for several more days before I win the tournament."

Arizona smiled at Callie's newfound confidence as she formulated a plan.

Callie continued to ramble. "I don't think I'm ever going to be able to move from this couch. So you're going to have to inform the casino staff that they'll have to move the tournament here. I can't remember the last time I was this tired and sore . . ." Callie's words were cut off as she felt a familiar touch rubbing her shoulders, warm sensuous breaths tickling the back of her neck, causing her hair to stand on end.

"I think I've got a remedy for your problems, Calliope," Arizona whispered huskily into her ear before gently nipping at her earlobe, causing a shiver to run down Callie's spine.

As quickly as she'd appeared, Arizona was gone. Callie looked around, but saw nothing . . . except two pink Chucks, as well as a few other items of clothing, leading a trail out of the room. Exhaustion suddenly gone, Callie grinned and rose to follow the path Arizona had left for her. She decided to tease her girlfriend just a bit, to leave her hanging in suspense, and waited a few minutes before following.

Deciding that she'd waited long enough, Callie followed the trail of clothes and was increasingly turned on as it became apparent that a very naked Arizona would be waiting for her. Finally, she found the object of her affection and lust, sitting nonchalantly in the hot tub outside by the pool. Callie's mouth ran dry as her eyes grazed across the naked, moistened flesh of her girlfriend. The water came just high enough to cover the tops of Arizona's breasts, subtle mounds hinting at what lay just below the surface. The heated water gave Arizona's pale skin an attractive flush, though whether it was really from the heat of the water or the heat of her thoughts was anyone's guess. Callie smirked and slowly made her way across the pool deck, eyes never leaving Arizona's.

"You had me worried there for a minute, Calliope. I was afraid I was going to have to enjoy this _hot_ tub all by my lonesome." As she said the words, she made sure to emphasize the word hot, voice laced with desire. Arizona smirked and slid a hand across the glistening skin of her chest before sliding it lower, leaving Callie with no doubt as to its final destination. Arizona let out a quiet gasp as her eyes glazed over, obviously eager to start the party with or without her girlfriend.

The sight of her girlfriend pleasuring herself was enough to nearly send Callie over the edge right then and there, a firebolt of epic proportions shooting through her center. Knowing that wasting time was not an option, Callie disrobed in record fashion, before joining Arizona in the warm water.

Callie was immediately upon Arizona, straddling her before reaching down to remove her hand from between her legs. "Let me," Callie husked before dipping her hand into Arizona's heated folds. Arizona shut her eyes and gasped as Callie gently teased around the outer part of her core. Somehow, Calliope's touch was ten times more effective than her own had been. Callie rubbed slow circles around the outside edges of Arizona's clit before swiftly inserting a finger into her opening. Eager to deepen the penetration, Arizona flipped them around, never losing contact with Callie's hand, so that she was straddling her girlfriend. Arizona continued to grind down on Callie's hand, moaning as her breasts bobbed up and down in the water. Unable to resist, Callie bent and took one of her girlfriend's nipples in her mouth, swirling it around, tasting the mixture of pool water and Arizona against her tongue.

Arizona's breath became ragged as she quickened her pace, groaning as she rode Callie. "More . . .," she whispered. "More, Calliope. I need . . ." Unable to finish her sentence, she let out a soft gasp as Callie added a second finger and began to tease her bundle of nerves with her thumb.

Arizona knew she was close and placed both of her hands on Callie's shoulders as she rocked, rode, ground her way to the promised land. Callie continued to toy with Arizona's breasts, enjoying the ever increasing stream of moans dripping from her girlfriend's luscious lips. The urgency of Arizona's thrusts reached a peak and with one final flick of her thumb, one final nip of a breast, Callie sent Arizona tumbling over the edge into ecstasy. Callie continued to pump in and out of her girlfriend as her body quaked and trembled with the waves of pure bliss. Callie smiled as Arizona's moans, as her movements, finally stilled. The look of pure satisfaction and release on her face was also one of pure beauty. Callie loved watching her girlfriend come, and knew without a doubt that she'd strive to achieve that exact look as many times as possible that night and every other night for the rest of their lives.

Arizona collapsed against her girlfriend, chest heaving, as she rested her head against Callie's shoulder, arms wrapped around her. Callie slowly removed her fingers and Arizona immediately mourned their loss. After taking a few moments to regain her senses, Arizona leaned back and smirked at her girlfriend.

Noticing Arizona's expression, Callie raised a questioning eyebrow. "What? What's that look for?"

"Oh, nothing . . . it's just that I have the perfect idea of how I'm going to make you scream my name . . . scream it so loud that all the neighbors will hear . . . and be jealous."

Callie's mouth dropped open in momentary shock before her look was replaced with one of amused curiosity. "Well, I'm not going to be one to get in the way of your dreams, Arizona. If that's what you really want to do."

Arizona leaned over and nibbled gently on Callie's ear before placing a series of wet kisses around it. "I do . . . ," she whispered, her breath tickling Callie's skin. "And you're not going to know what hit you."

Arizona pulled Callie up from her sitting position and immediately forced her against the wall of the hot tub. Arizona covered Callie's body with her own, her pert nipples pressing into Callie's back, sending all of her nerve endings into overdrive. Arizona began sucking, teasing at Callie's neck while she wrapped her arm around Callie's waist. Her other arm played across Callie's chest as she gently pinched and teased Callie's pebbled nipples. Callie let out a groan as Arizona's hand slowly made its way south, tickling and drawing lazy circles across her abdomen.

"Please, Arizona . . ." Callie moaned.

"Please what?" Arizona husked into her ear, her warm breath sending shockwaves through Callie's core.

"Please touch me. Please. . . "

Chuckling lightly, Arizona continued her teasing journey southward, finally reaching the place where Callie needed her most. She toyed with Callie's outer lips, spreading them slightly.

Suddenly, taking Callie completely by surprise, Arizona tightened her arm around her waist and thrust her body harder against Callie's. She shifted them slightly, so that all of a sudden . . . out of nowhere, Callie was hit by the stream of one of the tub's jets directly against her core. Continuing to spread Callie's heated folds with one hand, Arizona used the rest of her body to thrust her girlfriend against the power stream of water.

"Oh . . . my . . . Goddddd . . . Arizona!" Callie uttered as the powerful stimulation washed over her.

Taking her cues from her girlfriend's sensuous moans, Arizona developed a rhythm, pumping Callie's body against the jet over and over again.

Callie knew she wouldn't last long. The push, the pull of their dance, her girlfriend pressed against her, the breathy silence broken only by her own moans and the sloshing of the water in time with their movements. Callie had never felt so aroused.

Arizona sucked on Callie's glistening skin as she repeatedly forced her girlfriend against the jet. Callie's moans increased in both frequency and volume as she neared her climax. Arizona smiled as she continued to drag her tongue across Callie's shoulder. There was little else in the world as sexy as her girlfriend's cries of passion.

Their movements reached frenzied pace, water splashing everywhere before Callie's body finally let go, shuddering and spasming as fireworks exploded behind her eyes. "Ohhhhh . . . Arizonaaaa . . . . fuuuuuckk . . . Ari . . . ." Losing all power of speech, Callie's words turns to guttural screams as the most intense orgasm of her life wracked her body. Arizona held her there, pressing her against the stream of water until she sensed that Callie could take no more. Finally, shaky and spent, Callie collapsed into Arizona's arms. She smiled at her girlfriend. "Arizona Fucking Robbins. You are amazing. I will never, ever be able to look at a hot tub the same way again." She leaned down and kissed her girlfriend with all the love, all the passion was spilling forth from her heart.

The next morning, Arizona woke early, needing to finish repaying Callie for not only the gift of her shoes, but for the gift of her love. When they had been home with her parents and sister, Arizona had been reminded of just how important family was. It was incredibly unfair for Calliope to have to face the world, to live her life, without her family. Conservative or not, judgmental or not, her girlfriend needed them in her life. That much Arizona was sure of. And she knew, because Callie was so important to her, that she needed to do everything in her power to make that happen. Gently sliding out of Callie's arms, careful not to wake her, Arizona rose. She headed to the living room and found Callie's cell phone. After quickly scrolling through her contacts, Arizona found the right number. Heading outside to the pool deck so as not to be heard, she dialed the number.

"Hello? Calliope?" Callie's father answered.

"No, sir. Actually, this is Arizona Robbins. We met very briefly. I'm your daughter's . . . um . . . I'm your daughter's girlfriend."

"Is everything alright? Don't tell me that Calliope has gotten into some sort of trouble. She's not hurt is she?"

The concern in his voice gave Arizona hope. He still cared. "No, no. That's not it at all. I was hoping, sir, that we could just talk about Calliope for a minute. She's really been hurting, not having her family."

"That was her decision . . . Arizona, was it? She made that choice and she'll have to live with the consequences. She can return home at any time. She's the one who has chosen to lead a life of sin. What she's doing . . . what you're doing – it's an abomination and goes against the teachings of the Bible."

"Sir, we both know that's not that simple. And you were the one who forced that choice on her. And even though she's so strong, so brave, I can tell that she's hurting. And she doesn't need to. Why can't she have it all? Why can't she do what she loves, be with who she loves, _and_ have her family? Why must they be mutually exclusive? You've raised such a wonderful woman, Mr. Torres. Why throw that away?"

"I don't know you well enough to talk about her. We're not gonna do that."

Arizona paused for a moment, debating what to say next. Finally, she took a deep breath and began, thankful that at the very least, he hadn't hung up on her. "Most people think I was named for the state, but it's not true. I was named for a battle ship. The U.S.S. Arizona. My grandfather was serving on the Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and he saved 19 men before he drowned. Pretty much everything my father did his whole life was about honoring that sacrifice. I was raised to be a good man in a storm. Raised me to love my country. To love my family. To protect the things I love. When my father - Colonel Daniel Robbins, the United States Marine Corps - heard that I was a lesbian, he said he had only one question. I was prepared for, 'How fast can you get the hell out of my house?' But instead, it was, 'Are you still who I raised you to be?' My father believed in country the way that you believe in God. And my father is not a man who bends, but he bent for _me_ because I'm his daughter. I'm a good man in a storm. I love your daughter. And I protect the things that I love. Not that I need to. She doesn't need it. She's strong, and caring, and honorable. She's who you raised her to be."

Arizona paused, waiting for him to say something. She was met with silence, so she continued. "I know that this can't be easy. This is all sudden and new and different and scary for you. Calliope changed the game. I get that. You need time. But please sir, all I'm asking is that you think about it. You think about your daughter and what she means to you. She is an amazing, gifted, beautiful woman. Please, give her a chance to be happy. And to be truly happy, she needs her family, as well as the life she's chosen for herself. So think about it. That's all I'm asking. Believe in her, Mr. Torres. Believe in your daughter. And love her. Love her for who she is, not who you want her to be."


	27. Chapter 27

Title: All Bets Are Off 27/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

* * *

After finishing her speech, Arizona let out a sigh and waited. Silence. Finally, Callie's father responded. "Well, thank you for calling. I've got an appointment I must get to, so I'm going to go now." With that, he hung up.

Arizona looked down at the phone, as if it might hold the answer to the questions running through her head. He'd thanked her. Did that mean something? Maybe. Or maybe he was just being polite. Still, he hadn't hung up. He'd let her say her piece. Surely that counted for something. Hopefully he'd think about. It was all she could hope – that maybe she'd planted a seed, that maybe, he'd come around. She didn't see how he couldn't. His daughter was amazing. And how could he cut out something so amazing, so miraculous from his life? It didn't make sense. Looking down at the phone once more, she sighed and turned to head inside.

Just as she reached the door, she saw Callie. "Hey." Callie said, a small, sleepy smile on her face. "Who were you talking to?"

Arizona panicked for a moment. She wasn't ashamed of what she'd done, but didn't know how Callie would feel about it. Also, they had a big day of poker ahead of them and the last thing she wanted was to bring all of Callie's hurt and sadness back to the surface. Praying that Callie hadn't seen which phone she'd been using, she slipped in quickly into her pocket. "Oh, just Teddy. Talking about the tournament. I didn't want to wake you, so figured I'd go outside." She smiled and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "Ready to go kick some ass?" She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on Callie's lips.

"Never more ready," Callie said before recapturing Arizona's lips, quickly deepening the kiss, their tongues quickly tangled in a frantic dance. Callie reached down and pulled Arizona's hips against hers, leaving her girlfriend no question as to the direction of her thoughts. Pulling back slightly, she began placing wet kisses along Arizona's collarbone. "Think we've got time for a quickie before we head to the tournament?"

Arizona laughed. "Calliope, you are insatiable."

"And where's the problem?" Callie asked, as she continued her attentions.

At this point, the feel of Callie's touch, her hips, her mouth, the way her fingers were grazing against the bare skin just above her waistband, caused Arizona to lose the power of coherent speech. "Right now . . . I couldn't really say . . . some pesky, horny brunette is distracting me."

"Well then, what do you say I finish distracting you in the shower?"

Arizona looked into Callie's lust-darkened eyes and simply nodded as she attempted to swallow. Callie grabbed her hand and dragged her from the room, all thoughts of poker and fathers and anything else not involving the gorgeous woman in front of her vanishing as quickly as Callie's clothes did.

After their quickie turned into something decidedly unquick, they rushed to make it to the casino on time. Arizona had managed to successfully slip Callie's phone back into her purse and she prayed that she'd remain undiscovered . . . and that Callie's father would think long and hard about the way he was treating his daughter.

* * *

The next few days of the tournament flew by as the field slowly shrunk from thousands of would-be poker hopefuls to hundreds. At that point, both Callie and Arizona could be proud of their accomplishment. They'd both successfully lasted until the money – they would be making a return on their entry fee. They'd both proven that they were poker forces to be reckoned with. Arizona was so proud of Callie. Not that she'd doubted that her girlfriend had the talent, but because Callie was finally doing it, she was living her dream. No one, least of all Callie, could now doubt that this world, the poker world, was where she belonged.

Unfortunately for Arizona, her Pink Chucks could only counteract so much bad luck. After playing well for days, she was knocked out in 44th place. While she was disappointed, she couldn't really complain too much. 44th place paid a little over $200,000, which wasn't a bad return on her $10,000 entry fee. She made her way over to where Callie was playing and leaned against the rail to watch.

A year ago, if someone had asked her if she'd have been mad to be knocked out of the World Series at this point, she would have wholeheartedly said yes. But not now. Watching Calliope succeed, seeing the giant stack of chips in front of her girlfriend made her equally, if not more happy than if she'd been in that spot herself. She couldn't wipe the goofy grin off her face as she watched Callie do her thing.

She had to laugh quietly to herself as she saw Callie expertly shuffle a stack of chips, remembering the night she'd taught Callie that very trick. Her girlfriend was amazing, she was gorgeous, she was breathtaking . . . and it wasn't just the leather jacket and those ridiculously hot aviators. It was something that came from within – it was her confidence. Something that had been dying to get out for weeks and had finally overtaken her. Callie might not know it, but Arizona could see – she no longer needed the cocky poker diva image – she had become what she'd been pretending at. She was confident, she was sure – and it was a good look on her. Arizona continued watching in silence, smiling as her girlfriend controlled the table, making it look effortless.

"She's pretty great, huh?" A man's voice cut through Arizona's quiet moment of admiration.

She looked up at the bystander. "Yeah. She's the most amazing person I've ever met and a great poker player."

The man nodded and they went back to watching Callie in silence. Arizona smiled to herself. Now, even strangers were starting to notice how incredible Callie was. She'd come such a long way.

By the end of the day, Callie had accomplished something that not many people in the world could ever claim. She had made the final table of the biggest poker tournament in the world. Callie met up with Arizona, who immediately wrapped her arms around Callie in a warm hug. "I can't believe it, Callie. You made it. No . . . actually, let me correct that. I _can_ believe it. Because you are amazing. I'm so incredibly proud of you."

Callie hugged her back and grinned. "Thank you."

Arizona pulled back and gazed into Callie's eyes. "Thank you for what?"

"For everything. For having faith in me. For being there for me. For supporting me. For loving me. For everything. Without you, none of this would have happened."

Arizona shook her head. "You and I both know that's not true. You did this, Calliope. Sure, I was there, cheering you on. But this is on you and you alone. Don't ever doubt that."

Callie smiled as she studied the blonde's gorgeous face. "You are amazing, Arizona Robbins. I love you so much." She placed a quick kiss on Arizona's lips before continuing. "Now come on, the night's young and I want to celebrate."

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Arizona smiled.

"I want to dance with my gorgeous girlfriend. We're going to a club."

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but . . ." Arizona's words were cut off by Callie's mouth upon hers.

After kissing her soundly, Callie leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Don't you worry, Ms. Robbins. I have more than one kind of dancing in mind for tonight. But first – the club."

Arizona laced her fingers through Callie's. "Alright, lead the way. It is your night after all."

* * *

They got to the club and both immediately regretted it. It was packed, it was hot, it was sweaty, and it was filled with clientele who could only be described as 'barely legal.' "Why do I feel like I'm the only one in here who doesn't still have to ask their mommy for lunch money?" Arizona whispered into Callie's ear.

Callie laughed. "Yeah, it's like we're the chaperones at a really bad high school dance. Seriously, I feel old."

Arizona shook her head. "We'll just have to show them how it's really done." She placed a quick kiss on Callie's lips. "Now, are you going to buy me a drink? Otherwise, how are you going to get me drunk so that you can take advantage of me?"

Callie cocked a bemused eyebrow at her girlfriend. "Somehow, I don't think I need to get you liquored up to do that. But yeah, if we're going to stay at this club full of children, I'm going to need a drink. Rum and coke?" Arizona nodded. Callie pulled her wallet out and handed her purse to Arizona before heading to the bar. Arizona seized the opportunity presented to her and pulled Callie's phone from her purse. She sent a quick text to Callie's dad before slipping the phone back.

_Mr. Torres – It's Arizona again. Hopefully you get this. I just thought you should know that your daughter made the final table of the Main Event of the World Series of Poker. Tomorrow she plays for the world title and millions of dollars. Look it up. It's a big deal. This isn't a whim. Your daughter is amazing. Don't throw that away. – A._

Callie came back with their drinks and they enjoyed them while quietly flirting with one another. After finishing them, Callie took Arizona's hand and led her to the dance floor. Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie's neck while Callie encircled her waist. Bodies pressed tightly together, they moved in tandem with the beat, hips grinding, breasts brushing, breaths intermingling in a silent prelude to what they'd continue in private later on. Callie closed her eyes, savoring the electric closeness, the amazing feel of Arizona's body against her own. It was insanity, really. No matter how many times they'd touched, how many times they'd kissed, how many times they'd made love, just the slightest contact from her girlfriend sent her body into overdrive. Inhaling Arizona's sweet, citrus-laced scent, Callie pulled her closer, burying her face in Arizona's blonde locks as they continued to sway with the music.

Finally, unable to take it any longer, she crashed her lips to Arizona's, their tongues immediately finding each other, mimicking their dance, their tango, as they tasted, savored, enjoyed each other. Arizona thrust her hips against Callie's as she raked her fingers through Callie's raven locks, needing to deepen their embrace as much as was possible. A low moan rumbled in Callie's throat as they continued their explorations, the music, the club, the world ceasing to exist beyond their two bodies, their lips.

Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through their private moment. "Wow, Callie. Never would have pegged you for a lady lover." Callie pulled back in shock. Arizona turned to study the source of the voice in front of them. It was the same bystander she'd chatted with earlier. Confused, she looked to Callie.

"Uh . . . Steve. What the hell are you doing here?" Callie said to her ex.

"I heard you were here in Vegas pretending to be a poker pro. Figured I'd come and check out if the rumors were true. Guess they left out the really interesting bits. Like the fact that you're into girls now." He gestured to Arizona with a slimy smirk on his face. "Why weren't you this interesting when we dated? We could have shared the ladies."

Arizona struggled to contain her rage as Steve continued to mock Callie.

"What do you say, Callie? We can make another go of it and share this hottie here. I'm sure she won't mind." Unable to suppress her anger any further, Arizona balled her fists before lunging at him.

Callie held her back. "Don't worry, babe. I've got this." She looked Arizona straight in the eye, silently warning her not to make a scene.

Callie then turned to the jack ass standing in front of her. "Let me tell you a few things, Steve. First of all, there is no chance in hell that I will ever go back to you. If we were the last two people on Earth, I'd be completely comfortable letting the human race die out before I'd take you back. Second, Arizona or 'the hottie,' as you called her, is amazing. She is 100 times the person you will ever, ever be. So yeah, I'm not going to share her with you or with anyone. I don't know how you found me here, but frankly I don't care. The fact that you assume that you can just waltz back into my life after cheating on me and then having the audacity to blame it on _me_, shows me that you haven't changed. You're the same delusional, self-absorbed, pig that you always were. What I ever saw in you is beyond me. So do me a favor and crawl back into the hole you came from. Now, you'll have to excuse us, but I'm going to take my gorgeous girlfriend home. The closest you're ever going to get to our bedroom is in your dreams." With that, Callie grabbed Arizona by the hand and led her from the club.

Steve was clearly taken aback by Callie's confident set down. She wasn't the timid, obedient girl he'd known. "You were never anything without me!" he called after Callie. Callie shook her head and didn't look back.

After getting in the car, Arizona leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Callie's cheek. Turning Callie's chin so that they were eye-to-eye, Arizona smiled. "The way you stood up for you . . . and for me, back there . . . it was amazing. And fucking hot. You're right. He doesn't deserve you."

Callie smiled wanly. "Let's not talk about it anymore. The last thing I want to be thinking about when I take you to bed is my jack ass of an ex-boyfriend."

Arizona nodded. "Fair enough. Remind me though, if we ever run into him again, to thank him. If he hadn't been such a jerk, I'd never have found you."

Callie smiled and gently squeezed Arizona's hand as they drove home.

* * *

Arizona awoke the next morning and turned to snuggle into her girlfriend. However, her body was met with a cold, unoccupied side of the bed. After looking at the clock and realizing it was still a few hours before they needed to wake up, she sat up, blinking as she searched for her absent girlfriend. She rose and headed from the room, eventually finding Callie outside, pacing back and forth beside the pool.

Coming up behind her fretful girlfriend, Arizona wrapped her arms around her before placing a gentle kiss on her shoulder blade. "What's up, babe? Can't sleep?"

Callie turned in her arms, facing Arizona. She let out a sigh. "I don't know. Nerves, Steve, my family. Not sure. Just feeling a bit uneasy. I can't help but worry that I've gotten this far, only to fail."

Arizona pulled Callie in for a tight, reassuring hug, rubbing gentle circles across her back. "You're going to do great, Calliope. I just know it. And you can't fail at this point. Even if you get knocked out in the very first hand today, you've still accomplished more than many other poker players ever will. Even me." She pulled back and fixed her gaze on Callie's. "I've never made the final table of the Main Event. You are great, Calliope Torres. So just relax and have fun."

Callie nodded and swallowed hard, letting out a deep sigh. "You're probably right. It's just hard not to feel nervous. All the press and the cameras and everything. I just wish I had your confidence sometimes."

Arizona smiled. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I don't actually think I'm as awesome as I often profess to be. I get nervous too. I've just developed ways of dealing with it. Little tricks. In fact, I think I've got just the thing for you. We've got a few hours before the tournament. I've got a plan." With that, Arizona turned and headed back towards the house.

"Arizona, if this is just a ploy to get me back in bed . . ."

Arizona turned and laughed over her shoulder. "Calliope, you and I both know that I don't need a ploy to get you into my bed. Now get your mind out the gutter and come on. Get dressed. We've got an errand to run."

Callie rolled her eyes and followed her girlfriend inside. Shortly thereafter, Arizona was driving them to a mystery destination. As they pulled to a stop, Callie turned to look at Arizona with a bemused expression on her face. "A shoe store?"

Arizona nodded and flashed Callie her gorgeous dimples. "Yep. We're getting you some pink Chucks."

Callie shook her head. "Oh, no. No way, Arizona. Pink shoes are all sorts of wrong. You will never, ever get me into a pair of pink shoes."

Arizona rolled her eyes and got out, heading around to the passenger side to pull Callie from the car. "Don't knock 'em til you try 'em. Now come on inside. Humor me."

Callie grumbled but let her girlfriend lead her into the store. They came to a stop in front of a display of many different Chucks, in many different colors and styles. Callie crossed her arms in mock indignation before shaking her head again. "I'm sorry, Arizona, but I cannot, simply cannot handle pink shoes. It's not gonna happen. Ever."

"Calliope. Trust me. Once you've got them on, you'll feel their magical powers. You'll never know how you lived without them. Then . . . you'll go and kick that tournament's ass. Don't underestimate the power of the Chuck."

Sensing that she wasn't going to win this battle, Callie sighed. Her girlfriend's adorable obsession with her ridiculous shoes was wearing down on her. Part of her wanted to give in, just to see the smile on Arizona's face. But the other, wise and rational and decidedly unperky part of her screamed no. No to pink shoes. After chewing on her lip indecisively for a moment, she smiled. She knew what to do.

"Arizona. I'm sorry, but I cannot, will not, do pink shoes." Arizona looked a bit crestfallen and Callie almost caved right then and there. "However . . . I am willing to compromise. What if I get these instead?" She reached over and picked up a pair of dark blue and black plaid Chucks. "They're a little less flashy. A little more my style. Not everyone is capable of rocking the pink Chuck like you are, babe. I'm just not awesome enough." She smiled as she mocked her girlfriend.

Arizona took the shoe, studying it with an intent look on her face, clearly pondering the effectiveness of a shoe that wasn't pink. The furrow in her brow as she examined the shoe, taking the job a little too seriously, made Callie want to laugh. Her girlfriend and her perky eccentricities were absolutely adorable. Finally, Arizona nodded. "Yeah. This could work. I can sense the magic. Not quite as powerful as the pink magic, but it might do. It probably suits you better. It's kind of like the magic wands in Harry Potter. Each person has to find the magic wand that's right for them. Here, each person needs to find the Chuck that works the best magic for them. So yeah, I approve. Let's get them."

Callie burst out laughing. "Arizona . . . you seriously did not just compare shoes to Harry Potter."

"Uh, yeah, I did." Arizona said in complete seriousness. "What's wrong with that? Harry Potter is awesome."

Callie shook her head. How in the world had she ended up with a Harry Potter-referencing, pink shoe-wearing ball of perkiness like Arizona Robbins? And how in the world did she make her so happy? She didn't know, but right now, she was willing to admit her love for both Harry Potter and for pink shoes.


	28. Chapter 28

Title: All Bets Are Off 28/?

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: So I think this little (or not so little) fic is coming to an end. At this point, I think I've got one more chapter, an epilogue, which barring unexpected problems (or the real possibility of me going out with the guy I like tomorrow), should be posted tomorrow night, New York City time. I want to thank you all for reading. It's been a blast to write and I've truly appreciated each and every comment. I'm probably going to take a little time off to recover from the rigors of daily posting, but fully intend to be back with a new fic shortly. I've got several ideas floating around in my brain, we'll have to see which one takes hold. After all this writing about poker, I'm off to Atlantic City next weekend to play some poker . . . maybe if I'm lucky, I'll run into Callie or Arizona. And if not, at least I'll have some time in the hotel room to spend thinking about my next fic. Sorry for the ramble. Again, thanks so much for all the feedback – and if there's anything in particular you'd like to see me write, let me know. I'm always open to suggestions and keep a running list of story ideas.

* * *

As Callie made her way under the bright lights of the TV cameras to the final table, she couldn't help but grin. Maybe her insane girlfriend was onto something. Her new blue shoes were in place and though she'd never, ever admit it aloud, especially to Arizona, they did boost her confidence just a little bit. She also had to smile as she thought about the reason she'd chosen that particular pair of Chucks. Blue, though never a real favorite of hers, had quickly become her favorite color. Undoubtedly because blue was the shade of a certain perky blonde's eyes. Callie could no longer look at the color blue without thinking of Arizona and those beautiful eyes. And though she hadn't told her girlfriend, she'd brought along her own lucky charm . . . safely residing within her pocket was a coin . . . a quarter to be exact. And this quarter, one of a series featuring U.S. states, featured the state Arizona. As play got underway, Callie felt her nerves creep back in. Instinctively, she reached into her pocket and rubbed the coin, remembering how thankful, how lucky she was to have found Arizona and her fears quickly subsided.

Callie glanced up into the stands that the casino had erected, searching for Arizona. After scanning the crowd, she finally locked eyes with her gorgeous girlfriend. As she did so, a giant grin spread across her face. Though part of that expression was due to seeing Arizona, the real cause was the two people sitting next to her. Arizona's parents were there. They had come to cheer her on, to watch her try to play her way into poker history. Arizona had kept their arrival a secret. Callie took a few deep breaths, trying to retain her composure. It meant so much to her. These people, who'd she'd only spent a short time with, were willing to make the trip just to support her. Because she was important to Arizona. Her heart swelled and she closed her eyes briefly, willing away the tears that threatened to form. She was moved beyond words. After their weekend in San Diego, she considered them family already . . . and clearly they felt the same way. Reaching into her pocket once more to feel her Arizona quarter, she took a deep breath and focused on the game.

After folding a bad hand, Callie took the opportunity to study her opponents. She recognized only one player, a professional she'd heard of named Jackson Avery. He had a reputation for being a young, aggressive player and for playing lots of hands that other players would throw away. She knew that he could be a force to be reckoned with. She looked around at the rest of the remaining players, many of them as-of-yet unknowns. Just in the short time they'd been playing, she'd been able to pick up a few tells on some of them, which she knew she could use to her advantage down the road. After sizing up her competition, she had a feeling that, other than the unpredictable role that luck would play, Avery was probably her biggest competition. She felt she could make quick work of most of the other players, that the young pretty boy with the piercing blue eyes was her only real competition. She smiled to herself as she realized what she'd just been thinking. She was, for one of the first times in her life, sure of herself. She had this. She could do this. Whether it was the magic of the Chucks, the coin in her pocket, her cheering section in the stands, she couldn't be sure. But somehow, deep down, she knew that it was none of the above. That she was here because she'd earned it. And she could do this, not because of any superstitions, but because she was a great player. This tournament was hers to lose.

Arizona couldn't help but smile as she watched her Calliope play at the freakin' final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. She was so proud. Callie had come such a long way in terms of her confidence. It was written all over her face. She was a strong, smart, aggressive player and Arizona knew, without a doubt, that her girlfriend had a real chance of winning this tournament. Yes, she was biased, but even studying Callie from a detached, poker pro's view, she really thought so. Her mom reached over and took her hand, before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "She's amazing, Arizona. She doesn't look scared at all. I know I'd be petrified, with all those TV cameras and bright lights. She's playing like she owns the place." Arizona smiled and nodded, grinning with pride. And Callie _was_ playing as if she owned the place. She quickly took down a few substantial pots and even knocked out one of her opponents, bringing her one place closer to glory.

Mark, Teddy, and a few of Arizona's other poker friends joined them. Mark leaned over. "Hey, what'd we miss?"

Arizona turned and grinned at him. "Oh, nothing much. Calliope's making mincemeat out of her opponents. Total rock star."

"That's my girl . . . or uh, your girl." Mark smiled as he corrected himself, proud of how well Callie was doing.

Arizona nodded and continued. "Between her and Avery, my guess is these other guys don't last more than a few hours, barring any bad beats."

Indeed, Arizona's prediction came true as Callie and Jackson ran through the table over the next few hours, eliminating player after player as they accumulated more chips. By the time they took a break, there were only four players left, but most of the chips resided with Callie and her blue-eyed opponent.

At the break, Callie made her way over to Arizona, who quickly wrapped her arms around her, pulling Callie in for a quick, chaste kiss. I am so proud of you, Calliope. You are kicking some serious ass. She reached up and ran a gentle hand across Callie's cheek before leaning in to give her another peck on the lips.

"You sure do move on fast, Callie. What's it been, a month since we split up? I never took you for a slut, but I guess I was wrong." Callie skin crawled as she turned to see her ex Steve standing there.

"Excuse me?" She said, noticing Arizona's father stand, ready to come to her defense, along with Mark.

"Come on Callie, you and I both know that you're just experimenting here. And apparently you're pretty indiscriminate with your tastes if you can switch that easily to women. What do you say that you come back home with me and I'll remind you what's it's like to be with a man . . . a real man . . . and not some dykey substitute."

Callie opened her mouth to reply, at the same time signaling to her companions to hold back. Just as she was about to respond, another familiar voice cut in.

"Stephen. That is no way to talk to a lady . . . especially one who happens to be my daughter. And I won't have you using derogatory slurs about Arizona here. I'd suggest that you remove yourself from the premises immediately before I am forced to make a scene. And I'd also suggest that you start looking for a job. Come Monday, you'll no longer be welcome at my company. We don't have any room for hateful, disrespectful weasels such as yourself." Callie turned in shock to see her father standing there as Steve stalked away.

"Daddy? What are you doing here?" She was completely taken aback by the appearance of her father.

"I've come to see my daughter win a poker world championship." A small smile spread across his face. "And perhaps afterwards, we can spend some time together and I can get to know your young lady Arizona a bit better. After all, if she's going to be a part of your life, she'll be a part of my life as well."

Callie was rendered momentarily speechless and she answered the only way she knew how. She drew her father into a tight hug as a few tears sprung from her eyes. "Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for understanding and for giving me a chance to be happy."

He rubbed a reassuring hand across her back and chuckled lightly. "You should thank Arizona. She's the one who talked some sense into me, reminded me of what's really important and of how much I love you."

Callie pulled away in astonishment, looking over at her girlfriend, who was smiling, but also holding back tears. "You did this? For me?"

Arizona nodded. "I hope that's okay. I just couldn't stand to see you hurting."

Callie released her father and immediately embraced the blonde. "Thank you, baby. I love you so much."

"I'd do anything for you, Calliope." Arizona leaned in and kissed her gently. "Now, it looks like the break is about over. Go and win your title. We'll talk more later." Callie gave her one more hug and, grinning like an idiot, headed back to the table.

Callie looked up into the stands and her whole body flushed with love. Her cheering section had expanded to include not just Arizona, but her girlfriend's parents, her father, and several of their poker-playing friends. She'd taken a giant risk and it had paid off. She still had her family, but she'd also gained a new one – her Vegas family, as well as Arizona and the Robbins family. She'd always been afraid to leap without a net, to take any big chances, afraid she'd lose everything. With Arizona's help, she'd finally had the courage to take that jump. And not only had she _not_ lost everything, she'd gained so much. A new, stronger support system, confidence in herself, self-satisfaction, a love of her profession, and most importantly, the love of an incredible, passionate, beautiful soul named Arizona Robbins. No matter how this tournament played out, she knew she'd won. Lady luck had been extremely kind to her. With one more grin at her friends and family, she returned her focus to the game. It was time to take her final prize – the title.

Soon enough, it was down to Callie and Jackson. As was the custom at tournaments such as this, a parade of scantily clad women strutted out, dumping piles of cash onto the poker table, displaying the $8 million that the winner would take home. Callie tried to ignore it, telling herself that she needed to focus on the win, the prestige, the title. Still, it was hard not to be affected by the mountains of cash surrounding her.

Callie took a moment to pause and analyze the situation. She had slightly more chips than Avery and if she could just get him to bet all of his chips at the wrong time, the title would be hers. After a few uneventful hands, Callie decided it was time to make a move. She maintained a neutral façade as she pondered her options. She knew that Jackson was a hyper-aggressive player. If he sensed weakness, he'd go for the jugular, betting enormous amounts of chips in an effort to scare her away. Deciding to play it coy, she checked, indicating that she didn't want to bet, hoping to give him the impression she had a weak hand. She maintained her even breathing as she rubbed her Arizona quarter for good luck.

Sure enough, Jackson went for the kill, immediately announcing that he was all in. As he pushed his chips towards the center, Callie let out a sly smile.

Her expression did not go unnoticed by Arizona. She turned towards Callie's cheering section and whispered. "She's got this. Avery's a dead man unless he gets lucky."

"How do you know?" Mark asked.

"Just trust me. I see it in her eyes – she looks like the cat that got the canary. She knew exactly what she was doing when she checked her hand."

Sure enough, Callie turned over the motherlode of all poker hands – pocket aces. Avery groaned as he turned over the 7 and 8 of clubs. While he wasn't dead yet, Callie's hand was a clear favorite.

Knowing that this hand could be the end of the tournament, the crowd and the players watched in tense silence as the dealer turned over the first three community cards. A gasp rippled through the crowd as the cards were revealed. The dealer had turned over the 6 of clubs, the 5 of hearts, and the queen of clubs. This meant that if another club or a 4 or a 7 came up, Callie's hand would be beaten. A club would give him a flush and either a 4 or a 7 would give him a straight. There were suddenly many ways his hand could beat Callie's.

Callie's heart was pounding a mile a minute, as she struggled to breathe. The dealer seemed to take forever to reveal the next community card. She let out a sigh of relief as he turned over an uneventful 3 of spades.

Arizona gripped her mother's hand tightly as she leaned in anticipation. One card to go. One little card. She silently prayed to the poker gods for a good card. One more card and her girlfriend would win. Finally, unable to bear it, she closed her eyes. She couldn't look.

The dealer flipped over the final card, in what seemed like slow motion. Callie cringed in fear as she looked. There it was, the card that would decide her fate. It was . . .

The 10 of diamonds.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Arizona opened her eyes and immediately burst into tears of joy, hugging everyone around her. Before Callie fully realized what had happened, Jackson was standing, offering her a congratulatory handshake. People were hugging her, shaking her hand, offering her words of praise and congratulation.

She couldn't believe it. She'd done it. Not only had she won the biggest tournament in poker, she'd done it on her first try. And she'd been the first woman ever to do it. She searched the milling crowd for the one person she wanted to share this moment with the most. She struggled to find Arizona, everyone in the room wanting a piece of her. Finally, locking her eyes on Arizona's she beamed. They both pushed their way through the crowd towards each other, tears glistening in their eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, Arizona reached Callie and pulled her in for a deep, searing, probably inappropriate kiss, right in the middle of the poker room.

Breathless, they finally pulled apart, arms still twined around each other. Arizona reached up and caressed Callie's cheek. "I know I keep saying this, but I am so, so proud of you, Calliope. You did it. You're the world champion."

Callie grinned. "I still can't quite believe it. And I'm a little sorry."

"Sorry? Why on earth would you be sorry?" Arizona looked at her, perplexed.

"Because you've been trying to do this for a lot longer than I have. I feel like I kind of stole your thunder."

Arizona shook her head. "Never, ever think that, Calliope. I'll get my chance, eventually. And besides, I may not have won the title, but I think I got a pretty good prize myself. One that's worth way more than any gaudy bracelet or pile of cash."

"What's that?" Callie asked.

"You."


	29. Chapter 29

Title: All Bets Are Off 29/29

Author: GreysAddictJ

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Rating: NC-17/M

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. No infringement intended. Also, I don't use a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

Summary: A/U - World class professional poker player Arizona Robbins is known for keeping her cool in high intensity situations. What happens when an upstart new player, Callie Torres, sets her world spinning out of control?

A/N: Here's my epilogue – a jumble of brief snippets of what happened to our girls after Callie's big win.

* * *

_1 Year Later_

Callie and Arizona snuggled together on the couch, enjoying a quiet afternoon together. Arizona laid her head against Callie's shoulder as she traced patterns absent-mindedly across her girlfriend's leg. "So, are you sad that you didn't repeat as world champion?"

Callie shook her head. "No, not really. I mean the odds of winning that tournament twice, let alone twice in a row, are astronomical. Despite how bad ass a player I am, I can't win them all. And neither can you."

Arizona nodded. They'd both made a respectable showing at that year's World Series, but had come up empty in their quest for a bracelet. "At least we got knocked out on the same day, so we get to spend more time together. As much as I love watching you play, I can think of many other ways I'd rather spend my time with you." Arizona smiled and kissed Callie gently on the lips. "Are you going to miss it?"

"Miss what?" Callie asked, unsure of what Arizona was getting at.

"Miss being the reigning world champion? The tournament will be over tomorrow and then you'll have to give up your throne."

Callie laughed. "But my throne was so comfortable."

"And nobody filled it better than you, babe. I can tell you one thing. Whoever the next title holder is, they're never going be able to match you. You'll forever be the hottest . . . sexiest . . . most awesome World Series champion ever . . ." Arizona punctuated each word with a kiss. "At least until I win."

Callie burst out laughing. "Glad to know that your recent defeat hasn't shaken your confidence, babe."

Arizona grinned. "Never."

Callie looked at the clock and groaned. "Do I really have to go to this stupid interview? I'm old news at this point. Can't they just wait a day and interview the new champ?"

Arizona rubbed her back. "But why would they want to do that? I'm sure you're much more interesting. And more interesting to look at. Now go get your bracelet and let's head out. The sooner you do the interview, the sooner it will be over."

Callie sighed and went to retrieve her championship bracelet. It really was pretty gaudy and tacky, covered in all sorts of bling. Some champions preferred to wear their bracelet when they played, as a blatant advertisement of their former glory. Callie hated it and only wore it for media events like the one she had today. She didn't feel the need to flaunt her success, choosing instead to let her play speak for itself. And the fact that her win had been broadcast on television across the globe meant that plenty of people knew exactly who she was. She didn't need to wear an overt reminder of her fame.

As she approached the cabinet where she kept her bracelet, she pulled up short. It wasn't there. "What the heck? Where is my bracelet? I know I put it back here after the last time I wore it. Have you seen it?" She turned to ask Arizona for help, only to discover Arizona directly behind her, kneeling on the floor.

A small, goofy smile crept across Arizona's lips and Callie's heart began to thud out of her chest as the realization of what was happening washed over her.

"I thought maybe you'd like an upgrade in jewelry." Arizona pulled a small black velvet box from her pocket, opening it to reveal a gorgeous diamond solitaire ring. She took a deep breath, looking into Callie's chocolate brown eyes, tears glistening in her own. "Calliope. I last year of my life has been the most memorable, the happiest, the fullest, the best year of my life. There is one and only one reason for that. It's you. I often worried that I'd never find real love, the kind you read about in fairy tales, that you see in the movies, that you dream about as a little girl. I started to doubt that it really could exist. But then I met you. You are my fairy tale, you are my dream. I cannot and refuse to even attempt to imagine my life without you in it. I'm all in, Calliope. I'm betting on us. You're it for me. Every day I spend with you is better than the one before, and I want to continue that trend. Calliope Torres, I love you with all of my being. Will you be my happily ever after? Will you marry me?"

At this point, tears of joy were streaming down Callie's face. Arizona had just verbalized all that she'd long thought. Kneeling before her was the love of her life, her soul mate, her everything. Wiping away her tears, she nodded and struggled to regain her voice. "Yes." She whispered. "Yes, I will marry you. I love you so much." She pulled Arizona up into a passionate, deep kiss, their tears mingling as they melded their bodies together, mutually rejoicing in their future together. Arizona pulled back and slid the ring onto Callie's finger.

Callie grinned. "So much better than any damn bracelet."

Arizona laughed. "I'm in total agreement with you there. Now come on," she said as she pulled Callie's bracelet from her pocket. "Let's go get this interview over with. I need to make love to my fiancée."

* * *

_1 year, 8 months later_

Callie stood at the entrance to the chapel, her arm laced through her father's. She took a deep breath as she struggled to reign in her emotions. It was finally here, the day that she married her best friend, her soul mate.

Sensing her nerves, her father gently patted her hand. "Relax, mija. There's nothing to worry about. Just focus on Arizona and everything will be fine."

Callie smiled weakly. "Thanks, Daddy. Really, I'm fine. I just can't believe it's finally here, the thing I've dreamed about since I was a little girl . . . my wedding day. Maybe not quite how I used to envision it, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"And neither would I, mija."

She turned to look at him. "You really mean that? I mean, you're really okay? With me marrying a woman and all?"

"Do you love her?"

"Of course I do Daddy. With all of my heart."

"Then that's all that matters. Sure, the idea may have taken some getting used to, but all I want is for you to be happy. And your Arizona clearly makes you happy. So yes, Calliope. I am okay with this. I am more than okay. I am so proud of you and so happy for you. This may not have been the traditional wedding that your mother and I envisioned for our daughter, but that's okay. We're just glad that you're so happy and that you've found such a special person. We're lucky to have her in the family."

Callie smiled. "Thank you, Daddy." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "And it could have been worse. At least I was able to talk Arizona out of having Elvis marry us. I think Mama might have died."

He laughed. "She is an odd one, your Arizona. But I love her for it."

"You do?" Callie asked, never having heard her father admit to loving her fiancée.

"I do. Now let's go get you married."

Callie grinned and nodded and they began to head up the aisle. Callie immediately locked eyes with her gorgeous fiancée, all other people in the room ceasing to exist. She could see the look of love, of pride on Arizona's face and she no longer felt her nerves. She noticed a sly smirk play across Arizona's lips and wondered momentarily as to its cause. She didn't have to wonder long, however, as Arizona slowly and briefly lifted up the bottom of her formal gown. Underneath her floor length wedding dress, Arizona revealed . . . her pink Chucks.

Callie struggled to maintain her dignified walk up the aisle. She wanted so badly to laugh, to run up the aisle and tease her ridiculous fiancée. She shouldn't be surprised. She was marrying the whole Arizona – the loving, the generous, the confident, the gorgeous, _and _the goofy. Callie didn't mind. As long as she got to marry Arizona, she'd gladly marry those ridiculous pink shoes as well.

* * *

_4 Years Later_

The crowd erupted in cheers. She'd done it. She'd made history. Arizona Robbins had become just the second woman in poker history to win the main event of the World Series of Poker. More impressive – she and Callie had just become the only married couple to both win the event.

Arizona looked across the room, meeting the gaze of her gorgeous wife, who head tears of pride and joy in her eyes. Callie made her way to Arizona and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm so proud of you Arizona! I knew you could do it."

Arizona grinned. She had won the biggest prize in the poker world. But she knew that there were two bigger prizes, way more important to her than any bracelet or prize money. The first was her wife. The second was the wearer of the adorable pair of mini pink Chucks cuddled up in her wife's arms – their 8 month old daughter, Emma.

Arizona took her daughter, a mini version of her gorgeous wife, all dark hair and eyes, and snuggled up to her. "Hey baby! Did you see Mommy win that tournament? We'll have to start your poker training soon. We've already got your magic shoes. Next year, it's your turn." She placed a gentle kiss on Emma's cheek before hugging them both against Callie.

Callie wrapped her arms around her little family. "Next year may be her year, but not until we get her a baby pair of aviators and a leather jacket."

Arizona looked up into her wife's eyes. "Oh, really, Calliope? Emma told me she loves her Chucks. Don't make her cry and take them away." She turned to her baby. "Don't worry, sweetie. I won't let your mean old mama take away your Chucks." Emma babbled in response.

Callie grinned indulgently at Arizona. "You are ridiculous, Arizona. Sometimes, I don't know how I deal with you and your adorable quirks."

"Oh, you know you love it." Arizona placed a quick kiss on Callie's lips.

"Yeah, I do." Callie smiled and wrapped her arm around her wife and daughter. Pink Chucks and all, she was pretty damn happy with the hand she'd been dealt.

* * *

A/N: So that's it. The end. I hope you liked it. I really enjoyed writing it and have really appreciated the feedback. I'll be back with another story soon. I'm going to throw out one more shameless plug for comments – it'll help me get motivated to write the next fic. Please let me know what you thought. Anyway, again, thanks for reading and I'll see you soon with another story! -Jen


	30. Author's Note

It has come to my attention that certain readers are afraid that I have plagiarized the work of an ebook author, A.C. Grey, or vice versa, as some of our stories are near identical. I want to assure you that A.C. Grey and I are one and the same. I wanted to test my works with a larger, non-Grey's-watching audience, so I revised certain of my fanfics (to date, Covert Affairs, All Bets Are Off, and Secret Service) so that they were de-Greyified. I renamed Secret Service as I'll Cover You, All Bets Are Off became Queen of Hearts, and Covert Affairs retained the same name. My pen name, A.C. Grey, is even an homage to the show. "A.C." standing for Arizona and Callie, and the last name of Grey is pretty self-explanatory. I appreciate the support for these books I've received from the fandom, and thank you for reading!


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